Brain, Behavior and Epigenetics (Epigenetics and Human Health)

Transcription

Epigenetics and Human Health
Series Editors
Prof. Dr. Robert Feil
Institute of Molecular Genetics
CNRS and University of Montpellier
1919 route de Mende
34293 Montpellier Cedex 5
France
PD Dr. Mario Noyer-Weidner
Institute of Biology
Free University of Berlin
Altensteinstr. 6
14195 Berlin
Germany
Prof. Dr. Jörn Walter
Universität des Saarlandes
Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät III
FR 8.3 Biowissenschaften/Genetik/Epigenetik
Postfach 151150
66041 Saarbrücken
Germany
.
Arturas Petronis Jonathan Mill
l
Editors
Brain, Behavior and
Epigenetics
Editors
Arturas Petronis MD, PhD
Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health
The Krembil Family Epigenetics
Laboratory
College Street 250
M5T 1R8 Toronto, Ontario
Canada
arturas_petronis@camh.net
Jonathan Mill PhD
King’s College London
Institute of Psychiatry
De Crispigny Park
SE5 8AF London
United Kingdom
j.mill@iop.kcl.ac.uk
ISSN 2191-2262
e-ISSN 2191-2270
ISBN 978-3-642-17425-4
e-ISBN 978-3-642-17426-1
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-17426-1
Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011929222
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011
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Preface by the Series Editors
Brain, Behaviour and Epigenetics is the second volume of a new Springer book
series on Epigenetics and Human Health, edited by Robert Feil (University of
Montpellier, France), Mario Noyer-Weidner (University of Berlin, Germany) and
Jörn Walter (University of Saarbrücken, Germany).
With Arturas Petronis and Jonathan Mill the series has attracted two editors
to this volume with a long-standing record in this emerging biomedical field.
They both direct brain- and disease-oriented research programs at the Centre for
Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto (Canada) and at the Kings College in
London (UK), respectively. In the 14 chapters of their book they have gathered
comprehensive articles ranging from basic molecular regulation in the brain to
memory formation and psychiatric disorders.
The series adds to Springer’s growing interest in the field of epigenetics and its
many links to human health – both in the biological and clinical context. The aim of
the book series is to introduce new epigenetic topics and concepts with relevance to
human disease and to present them in a broad interdisciplinary context. Along this
line the series aims to address both clinicians and basic scientists. We very much
hope you will enjoy this volume and the series and find them useful for your
professional endeavours.
May 2011
Robert Feil
Mario Noyer-Weidner
Jörn Walter
v
.
Preface to the Volume
Biomedical research in the first decade of the twenty-first century has been marked
by a rapidly growing interest in epigenetics. The reasons for this are numerous, but
primarily it stems from the mounting realization that research programs focused
solely on DNA sequence variation, despite their breadth and depth, are unlikely to
address all fundamental aspects of human biology. Some questions are evident even
to nonbiologists. How does a single zygote develop into a complex multicellular
organism composed of dozens of different tissues and hundreds of cell types, all
genetically identical but performing very different functions? Why do monozygotic
twins, despite their stunning external similarities, often exhibit significant differences
in personality and predisposition to disease? If environmental factors are solely the
cause of such variation, why are similar differences also observed between genetically identical animals housed in a uniform environment? These are not necessarily
new questions. More than half a century ago, Conrad H. Waddington, an insightful
British developmental biologist, developed a theoretical framework to explain how
identical genotypes could produce a wide collection of phenotypes over the course of
development, defining epigenetics as the developmental processes “connecting” a
cell’s genotype to its phenotype. Even before Waddington, the term epigenesis was
used several centuries ago to conceptualize how, starting from a uniform material,
every individual acquires new forms that emerge gradually over time.
Over the last couple of decades, epigenetics has undergone a significant metamorphosis from an abstract developmental theory to a very dynamic and rapidly
developing branch of molecular biology. Waddington’s concept of an “epigenetic
landscape” linked to phenotype has materialized into the study of complex combinations of DNA and histone modifications, together acting to coordinate various
genetic functions in the cell. These modifications can be heritable, both mitotically
and meiotically, but do not involve changes in the DNA sequence. Contemporary
epigenetics investigates DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, in addition
to a plethora of histone modifications that together play a critical role in a variety
of regulatory processes within the nucleus. Epigenetic processes primarily regulate
gene expression, controlling the tissue-specific orchestration of gene activity that
ultimately accounts for the development of multicellular organisms. They also
have a number of other important genomic functions including the suppression of
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retroelements, the instigation of X chromosome inactivation in females and a role in
meiotic and mitotic recombination and chromosomal segregation.
Epigenetic studies in various species – from Escherichia coli and yeast to
animals and humans – are now underway, highlighting how epigenetic regulation
is critically important for the normal functioning of the genome. Cells can operate
normally only if both DNA sequence and epigenetic components of the genome
function properly. In other words, the cell needs both the DNA “hardware” and the
epigenetic “software.” Furthermore, epigenetic factors and the DNA sequence do
not necessarily operate in isolation. Some DNA sequence variants can influence
local epigenetic profiles, for example, via processes such as allele-specific DNA
methylation. Likewise, epigenetic modifications can predispose certain nucleotides
to be more mutagenic than others; for example, methylated cytosines are prone to
spontaneous deamination and conversion to thymines.
Epigenetic information varies among cells of the same tissue, across the cells of
different tissues, and also between individuals. Epigenetic changes may be rapid
and short-lived (e.g., the cyclical changes observed in response to the circadian
rhythm) or highly stable once established (e.g., the maintenance of tissue and cell
type specificity). Despite the extremely fast growth in epigenetic research over the
last decade, we are only just beginning to understand the full complexity of the
epigenome. We are still mapping the epigenetic landscape of the cell, uncovering
new epigenetic mechanisms, and novel roles for epigenetic processes. Recent years,
for instance, have seen the recognition about the importance of noncoding RNA and
RNA-mediated epigenetic gene regulation, as well as physical interactions among
genes in three-dimensional space within the nucleus.
The recent advent of high-throughput genomic approaches, first via the application of microarrays and more recently via next generation sequencing, has enabled a
technological quantum leap in molecular epigenetic studies; epigenome-wide
mapping experiments can now be feasibly performed at unprecedented resolution.
The term “epigenome” is used to describe the complex distribution of epigenetic
modifications across the entire genome in a specific cell or cell population. As in
genome-wide association studies, scans of epigenomes will soon become a routine
procedure in experimental laboratories. Large-scale epigenomic mapping projects
initiated by the NIH, European Science Foundation, and other major funding
agencies have already mapped numerous layers of epigenomic information using
these latest technologies. Hopefully, this effort will result in a global, integrated
view of different cellular states. Unlike the human genome, mapping the epigenome
is an open-end project: each cell in each individual may have a distinct epigenome
that reflects its developmental state, environmental exposures, stochastic effects,
among numerous other multidirectional effects that form the epigenetic uniqueness
of each cell, each tissue, and each individual.
The focus of this volume is behavioral and brain epigenetics, representing a novel a
frontier in neurobiological and psychiatric research. One of the primary objectives of
behavioral epigenetics is to understand the molecular basis of various brain functions
(e.g., memory, cognition, homeostasis, and adaptation to new environments). Of
particular interest is the putative role of epigenetic dysfunction in brain pathology
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and mental illness. While epigenetic factors have been intensively investigated in the
malignant transformation of cells in cancer, similar processes may be highly relevant
to various complex non-Mendelian diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms – often more
efficiently than genetic ones – are able to integrate a number of apparently unrelated
clinical, epidemiological, and molecular data into a new theoretical framework.
Putative epigenetic misregulation is consistent with various epidemiological, clinical,
and molecular features in complex diseases, including most psychiatric disorders. It is
apparent that the dysregulation of gene activity and deviations from a normal expression pattern can be as detrimental to a cell as mutant DNA sequences resulting in
dysfunctional proteins. It is important to note that epigenetic changes that are partially
both inherited and acquired can be the primary disease causes, rather than just one of
numerous secondary or further downstream epiphenomena.
Another pertinent question is how exposure to a wide scope of environmental
factors, such as toxins, drugs of abuse, infection, nutrition, and stress can affect
epigenetic regulation in the brain that ultimately translate into alterations in behavior.
Epigenetic studies will provide new insights into the interface between the environment and the genome, and the mechanisms by which exposures at key points in
development may mediate long-term effects on behavior. Some epigenetic changes
are transient, whereas others may be relatively stable and persist much longer. Some
chromatin changes are mitotically heritable and can affect somatic tissues, whereas
others may even be inherited through meiosis and affect subsequent generations.
This volume represents a compilation of our current understanding about the key
aspects of epigenetic processes in the brain and their role in behavior. The chapters
in this book bring together some of the leading researchers in the field of behavioral
epigenetics. They explore many of the epigenetic processes that operate or may be
operating to mediate neurobiological functions in the brain and describe how
perturbations to these systems may play a key role in mediating behavior and the
origin of brain diseases. Akbarian et al. analyze the mechanisms by which epigenetic
factors, such as covalent histone modifications, can contribute to dysregulation of
gene expression in schizophrenia. Another chapter dedicated to schizophrenia, by
Grayson and colleagues, summarizes their detailed epigenetic analysis of genes
encoding reelin and glutamate decarboxylase 67. Theoretical evidence, with some
preliminary experimental findings, that bipolar disorder is a promising candidate
for epigenetic and epigenomic studies is summarized by Kato. The epigenetics and
disease theme is further elaborated by Labonté and Turecki, who discuss the complex
relationship between adverse life events and social stress, on the one hand, and
major depression and suicidal behavior on the other, exploring the putative role of
molecular epigenetic factors. Malaspina et al. provide epidemiological evidence
that paternal age, toxin exposure, and psychological stressors may increase the risk
for mental disease and suggest that these environmental hazards can be indirectly
uncovered using epigenetic strategies, both in humans and animal models. The
theme of epidemiological epigenetics in psychiatric diseases is elaborated by Susser
et al., who discuss how prenatal famine and childhood ethnic minority status is
associated with higher degree of psychopathology. Craig et al. discuss the complex
epigenetic regulation of the X chromosome and its impact on human behavioral
x
phenotypes. Crespi, in a theoretical tour de force, attempts to link parent–offspring
conflict, attachment theory, and genomic imprinting. The numerous roles of genomic imprinting, a classical epigenetic mechanism, in brain and behavior studies are
overviewed by Isles and Wilkinson. The intriguing observations about the epigenetic
effects of social experiences occurring during infancy, and its role in the establishment and maintenance of environmental programming are summarized in two
chapters, one by Curley and Champagne and a second by Weaver. Finally, three
chapters by Labrie, Estevez and Abel, and Reul et al. discuss evidence that epigenetic mechanisms can play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, learning, and
memory.
Despite significant progress in molecular epigenetic research and its enormous
potential, there are still considerable challenges to overcome before we can fully
understand the role of epigenetic processes in brain function and behavior. For
instance, what comprises a “normal” brain epigenome and what is the degree of
tissue and cellular specificity of epigenetic landscapes in the brain? How do the
multiple layers of epigenetic information interact and change over time? How
common is meiotic epigenetic heritability and what role it may play in complex
psychiatric disease? To what extent is the epigenome plastic and malleable in
response to environmental influences? This volume demonstrates that such questions can now be explored in an experimental molecular biology laboratory. While
the community is only just starting to acknowledge the importance of epigenetic
processes in the brain, there is no doubt that numerous breakthrough discoveries in
brain and behavioral epigenetics will be made in the decades to come.
Toronto, Canada
London, UK
Arturas Petronis
Jonathan Mill
Contents
1
Posttranslational Histone Modifications
and the Neurobiology of Psychosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Schahram Akbarian, Iris Cheung, Caroline Connor,
Mira Jakovcevski, and Yan Jiang
2
Epigenetic Regulation of GABAergic Targets in Psychiatry . . . . . . . . . 23
Dennis R. Grayson, Marija Kundakovic, Ying Chen,
Erbo Dong, and Alessandro Guidotti
3
Possible Roles of DNA Methylation in Bipolar Disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Tadafumi Kato
4
The Epigenetics of Depression and Suicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Benoit Labonté and Gustavo Turecki
5
Epidemiology Research and Epigenetics:
Translational Epidemiology of Schizophrenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Mary Perrin, Karine Kleinhaus, Mark Opler, Julie Messinger,
and Dolores Malaspina
6
Environmental Studies as a Tool for Detecting
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Schizophrenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Wim Veling, L.H. Lumey, Bas Heijmans, and Ezra Susser
7
Imprinting, Inactivation and the Behavioural Genetics
of the X Chromosome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Ian W. Craig
8
The Strategies of the Genes: Genomic Conflicts,
Attachment Theory, and Development of the Social Brain . . . . . . . . . . 143
Bernard J. Crespi
xi
xii
Contents
9
Genomic Imprinting Effects on Brain and Behavior:
Future Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Anthony R. Isles and Lawrence S. Wilkinson
10
Epigenetic Influence of the Social Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Frances A. Champagne and James P. Curley
11
Toward an Understanding of the Dynamic Interdependence
of Genes and Environment in the Regulation of Phenotype . . . . . . . . . 209
Ian C.G. Weaver
12
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors: A Novel Therapeutic
Approach for Cognitive Disorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Viviane Labrie
13
Epigenetic Mechanisms of Memory Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Marcel A. Estevez and Ted Abel
14
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Memory Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Johannes M.H.M. Reul, Andrew Collins, and Marı́a Gutièrrez-Mecinas
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Contributors
Ted Abelm Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South
University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, abele@sas.upenn.edu
Schahram Akbarian Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric
Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont
Street, Worcester, MA 01604, USA, Schahram.akbarian@umassmed.edu
Frances A. Champagne Department of Psychology, Columbia University,
Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA,
fac2105@columbia.edu
Ying Chen Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Iris Cheung Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research
Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont Street,
Worcester, MA 01604, USA
Andrew Collins Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and
Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street,
Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
Caroline Connor Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research
Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont Street,
Worcester, MA 01604, USA
Ian W. Craig SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London,
PO Box 82, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
Bernard J. Crespi Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby,
BC, Canada, V5A 1S6, crespi@sfu.ca
xiii
xiv
Contributors
James P. Curley Department of Psychology, Columbia University, Schermerhorn
Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
Erbo Dong Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Marcel A. Estevez Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South
University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, estevez@sas.upenn.edu
Dennis R. Grayson Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute College of
Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612,
USA, dgrayson@psych.uic.edu
Alessandro Guidotti Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute College
of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St, Chicago,
IL 60612, USA
Marı́a Gutièrrez-Mecinas Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building,
Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
Bas Heijmans Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University
Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands, b.t.heijmans@
lumc.nl
Anthony R. Isles Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric
Genetics and Genomics, Schools of Medicine and Psychology, Cardiff University,
Henry Wellcome Building, Heath Park Campus, 14 4XN Cardiff, UK, IslesAR1@
cardiff.ac.uk
Mira Jakovcevski Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric
Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont
Street, Worcester, MA 01604, USA
Yan Jiang Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont Street, Worcester,
MA 01604, USA
Tadafumi Kato Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN
Brain Science Institute, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan, kato@
brain.riken.jp
Karine Kleinhaus New York University Langone Medical Center Institute for
Social and Psychiatric Initiatives: InSPIRES, 500 First Avenue, NBV 22N-10,
New York, NY 10016, USA
Contributors
xv
Marija Kundakovic Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute College
of Medicine University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St, Chicago,
IL 60612, USA
Benoit Labonté McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital, McGill
University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Viviane Labrie Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health, 250 College St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5,
Viviane_Labrie@camh.net
L.H. Lumey Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman
School of Public Health, 722 West 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, USA,
lumey@columbia.edu
Dolores Malaspina New York University Langone Medical Center Institute for
Julie Messinger New York University Langone Medical Center Institute for
Mark Opler New York University Langone Medical Center Institute for Social
and Psychiatric Initiatives: InSPIRES, 500 First Avenue, NBV 22N-10, New York,
NY 10016, USA
Mary Perrin New York University Langone Medical Center Institute for Social
and Psychiatric Initiatives: InSPIRES, 500 First Avenue, NBV 22N-10, New York,
NY 10016, USA, Mary.Perrin@nyumc.org
Johannes M.H.M. Reul Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building,
Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK, Hans.Reul@bristol.ac.uk
Ezra Susser Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School
of Public Health, 722 West 168 Street, New York, NY 10032, USA, ess8@
columbia.edu
Gustavo Turecki McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital, McGill
University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Douglas Hospital 6875 Lasalle Blvd, Montreal, Quebec
H3H1R3, Canada, gustavo.turecki@mcgill.ca
xvi
Contributors
Wim Veling Parnassia Center for Early Psychosis, Lijnbaan 4 2512 VA, The
Hague, The Netherlands, w.veling@parnassia.nl
Ian C.G. Weaver Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of
Pharmacology, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street,
Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 1R8, ian_weaver@camh.net
Lawrence S. Wilkinson Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Schools of Medicine and Psychology, Cardiff
University, Henry Wellcome Building, Heath Park Campus, 14 4XN Cardiff, UK,
WilkinsonL@cardiff.ac.uk
.
Chapter 1
Posttranslational Histone Modifications
and the Neurobiology of Psychosis
Schahram Akbarian, Iris Cheung, Caroline Connor, Mira Jakovcevski,
and Yan Jiang
Abstract Schizophrenia and related major psychiatric disease is typically defined
by the conspicuous absence of a defining neuropathology and a lack of straightforward identifiable genetic factors in the majority of affected individuals. On the
other hand, there is increasing evidence that a distinct set of RNAs, many of which
encode proteins of critical importance for myelin regulation and oligodendrocyte
function, or GABAergic inhibitory and glutamatergic excitatory neurotransmission
are expressed at altered levels in diseased brain. This chapter explores the mechanisms by which epigenetic regulators of gene expression, including covalent histone
modifications, could contribute to dysregulation of gene expression in schizophrenia. There is also discussion on the methodological and scientific limitations of
histone-focused approaches, as it pertains to the human (postmortem) brain, as well
as brief remarks on the topic of epigenetic heritability of chromatin structures
potentially altered in schizophrenia. The authors predict that the study of histone
modifications, both at defined candidate gene loci and genome-wide, will become
an important tool in the investigation of gene expression abnormalities and potential epigenetic dysregulation in the brains of subjects on the psychosis spectrum.
Keywords Epigenetics Heritability Histone code Nucleosome Schizophrenia Transcriptional regulation
Abbreviations
ATP
DRD2
ERBB4
Adenosine triphosphate
Dopamine receptor D2
Receptor tyrosine kinase erb4
S. Akbarian (*), I. Cheung, C. Connor, M. Jakovcevski, and Y. Jiang
Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of
Massachusetts Medical School, 303 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01604, USA
e-mail: Schahram.akbarian@umassmed.edu
A. Petronis and J. Mill (eds.), Brain, Behavior and Epigenetics,
Epigenetics and Human Health, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-17426-1_1,
1
2
S. Akbarian et al.
GABA
GABRA2
GAD1
GAD67
GRIN1
GRM3
H3K4me1
H3K4me2
H3K4me3
HDAC
HDACi
Hz
K
KDM
KTM
Mll1
mRNA
NMDA
SNP
SUMO
VPA
1.1
1.1.1
Gamma-aminobutryic acid
GABA-A receptor, alpha 2 subunit
Glutamic acid decarboxylase 1
67 kDa glutamic acid decarboxylase (¼GAD67)
Glutamate receptor, ionotropic 1
Glutamate receptor, metabotropic 3
Histone H3-monomethyl-lysine 4
Histone H3-dimethyl-lysine 4
Histone H3-trimethyl-lysine 4
Histone deacetylase
Histone deacetylase inhibitor
Hertz
Lysine
Histone lysine demethylase
Histone lysine methyltransferase
Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (histone methyltransferase)
Messenger ribonucleic acid
N-methyl-D-aspartate
Single nucleotide polymorphism
Small ubiqutin related modifier
Valproic acid
The Neurobiology of Schizophrenia
The Pathophysiology of Psychosis: Synopsis and Overview
Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by positive
symptoms, including auditory and other sensory hallucinations and delusions;
negative symptoms, such as social withdrawal and flat affect; and cognitive symptoms, including working memory deficits and disorganized speech and thinking.
Symptoms typically emerge in young adulthood, and often lead to significant social
and occupational dysfunction. The large majority of subjects diagnosed with
schizophrenia or a related psychiatric disease do not demonstrate robust alterations
in brain structure or morphology, nor do they show a defining cellular pathology
in the CNS or elsewhere, giving rise to the view that disease-associated neuropathology, such as increased ventricular volume and small decreases in gray matter
volume, is subtle (Harrison 1999; Iritani 2007).
Likewise, changes on the cellular level are relatively minor compared with
many other neurological disorders. For example, decreased density and altered
spatial distribution of oligodendrocytes in conjunction with myelin deficiencies
have been shown in the gray and white matter of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus
1 Posttranslational Histone Modifications and the Neurobiology of Psychosis
3
(Hof et al. 2003; Schmitt et al. 2009; Uranova et al. 2004), suggesting that the
brain connectivity is impaired. In addition, both increased numbers and distorted distribution of subcortical white matter neurons have been reported in the
frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes (Akbarian et al. 1996; Connor et al. 2009;
Eastwood and Harrison 2005; Ikeda et al. 2004; Kirkpatrick et al. 1999;
Rioux et al. 2003). Altered distribution of neurons has also been demonstrated
in layer II of entorhinal cortex (Falkai et al. 2000; Jakob and Beckmann 1986).
These findings are thought to reflect compromised prenatal and early postnatal
neurodevelopment, which are the critical periods for neuronal migration and
positioning. Whether or not these histological alterations observed in clinical
postmortem brain (Harrison 1999) are causally related to psychosis remains
a matter of investigation.
Recently, in vivo neuroimaging and electrophysiological approaches have
uncovered evidence for cortical dysfunction affecting portions of the forebrain,
including prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which often occurs in conjunction
with cognitive deficits in the domains of working memory, executive control,
and even some aspects of episodic memory (Barch 2005; Potkin and Ford 2009).
One of the most exciting and more recent developments in the field concerns
the study of neural oscillations and synchronization, which can be measured
by electroencephalography and magnetencephalography. There is evidence that
large cortical and subcortical neuronal networks operating in the beta (13–30 Hz)
and gamma (30–200 Hz) range are abnormal in schizophrenia (Uhlhaas and
Singer 2010). These widespread deficits in synchronization are believed to
underlie some of the cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia, including
working memory and attention (Uhlhaas and Singer 2010). Although the precise
pathophysiological underpinnings of these oscillatory abnormalities remain
unknown, they are likely to result from a number of factors. For example, there is
evidence of widespread changes in white matter integrity in schizophrenia (Lim
et al. 1999; White et al. 2009), as well as the aforementioned deficits in oligodendrocytes (Hoistad et al. 2009) and white matter neurons beneath the cerebral
cortex (Connor et al. 2009). These alterations may contribute to disordered
connectivity between different cortical areas. In addition, multiple neurotransmitter systems have been implicated in the mediation of coordinated activity of
neuronal assemblies (Uhlhaas and Singer 2010); in particular, deficits in inhibitory
(GABAergic) local circuit neurons and their N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA)
receptor-mediated excitatory (glutamatergic) input are thought to play a pivotal
role in abnormal neuronal synchronization in psychosis (Belforte et al. 2010;
Benes 2010; Homayoun and Moghaddam 2007; Lewis et al. 2008; Lisman
et al. 2008; Sohal et al. 2009). The interrelation between these measures and
biomarkers of cortical dysfunction with other abnormalities encountered in schizophrenia brain, such as the increases in striatal dopamine release after amphetamine
challenge and at baseline, and in striatal baseline occupancy of dopamine D2
receptors (Abi-Dargham et al. 2009), remains to be determined.
The above examples illustrate why many investigators in the field consider
psychosis spectrum disorders to be maladies that are undoubtedly biological in
4
S. Akbarian et al.
nature, but that are difficult to study due to the absence of a unifying and unambiguous morphological and cellular pathology.
1.1.2
Molecular Determinants of Cortical Dysfunction
in Psychosis: Focus on RNAs and Proteins
It has become increasingly clear that proteomes and transcriptomes are abnormal in
psychotic brain. For example, altered expression of oligodendrocyte proteins and
mRNAs has been repeatedly reported in prefrontal and temporal cortex of schizophrenia subjects (Aston et al. 2004; Hakak et al. 2001; Katsel et al. 2005; Martins-deSouza et al. 2009; Regenold et al. 2007; Tkachev et al. 2003). Likewise, many
proteins and mRNAs encoding ligand-gated ion receptors, reuptake transporters,
and metabolic enzymes for inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission show altered
expression in cerebral cortex in schizophrenia (Akbarian and Huang 2006; Benes
2010; Charych et al. 2009; Dracheva et al. 2004; Duncan et al. 2010; Guidotti et al.
2005; Hashimoto et al. 2008; Woo et al. 2008). In addition, transcripts for NMDA and
other ionotropic glutamate receptors (Beneyto et al. 2007; Hemby et al. 2002;
Meador-Woodruff and Healy 2000), as well as a variety of synapse- and other
neurotransmission-associated proteins, and a diverse group of metabolic genes have
been repeatedly implicated in schizophrenia postmortem brain studies (Khaitovich
et al. 2008; Lewis and Mirnics 2006; Lipska et al. 2006; Middleton et al. 2002;
Pongrac et al. 2004). It is important to emphasize that the above examples represent
only an incomplete selection from a very large body of literature on mRNA and
protein expression changes in postmortem schizophrenia and psychosis spectrum
disorder brain, as a comprehensive list is beyond the scope of this chapter.
1.1.3
Altered Gene Expression in Schizophrenia Brain
Although no single gene transcript or protein has been consistently reported to
be changed in schizophrenia or other psychosis spectrum disorder, the abovementioned studies clearly point toward a select set of signaling pathways and
molecules that are frequently altered in the brain of diseased subjects. The next
question that arises regards the underlying mechanisms, which lead to altered
mRNA levels. These are likely to reflect a complex and heterogeneous cache of
primary causes, which can be grouped into two broad categories (1) genetic
variation, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (Purcell et al. 2009)
and structural variants, such as microdeletions and duplications (Kirov 2010) and
(2) environmental factors, primarily adverse perinatal events, such as prenatal
infection, maternal stress, and malnutrition (Kunugi et al. 2001; Lewis and Levitt
2002; Tandon et al. 2008). In addition, secondary factors that are not related to
5
disease pathogenesis could also result in gene expression changes; for example,
antipsychotic medication has been shown to decrease the levels of oligodendrocyterelated mRNAs (Narayan et al. 2007). Furthermore, the physiological condition
before death could potentially affect steady-state levels of metabolic and mitochondrial genes in the brain (Vawter et al. 2006).
However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which these primary and secondary factors exert their effects on mRNA levels – and the presumed downstream effects
on brain function – remain unclear. Specifically, it is unknown whether these mRNA
changes are due to a change in transcription or production, or rather due to altered
metabolism or turnover. Many of the cellular mechanisms involved in these phenomena are, for technical reasons, difficult to study in human postmortem brain or even in
preclinical models. Despite these limitations, there is increasing evidence that transcriptional regulation, or the mechanisms of gene expression, could play a role in the
molecular pathology that involves some of the aforementioned disease-related
mRNAs (Gavin and Sharma 2009; Shi et al. 2009). The caveat is that transcription
is an extremely complex and dynamic process involving multiple steps (transcriptional initiation, postinitiation, elongation, termination, etc.) with multimeric transcription factor complexes, RNA polymerase subunits, and other molecules (Hager
et al. 2009) that are difficult to study in their physiological context in the preclinical
model, let alone in human postmortem brain.
One key aspect governing the regulation of transcription that is amenable for
study in both animal models and in human postmortem brain is epigenetics,
defined by chemical modifications of genomic DNA and the histone proteins
(Berger 2007). Not surprisingly, the recent advances in epigenetics have greatly
enhanced knowledge in preclinical models for depression, addiction, psychosis,
and other neuropsychiatric disease (Abel and Zukin 2008; Buckley 2007; Duman
and Newton 2007; Graff and Mansuy 2008; Renthal and Nestler 2008; Tsankova
et al. 2007). In the following sections, we therefore provide an overview on
covalent histone modifications, including their association with transcription. We
also discuss some of the first examples that associate the regulation of posttranslational histone modifications with the neurobiology of psychosis.
1.2
1.2.1
Histone Modifications and the Molecular Pathology
of Schizophrenia and Related Disease
Histones and the Postmortem Brain
Histone proteins and their covalent modifications play a key role in the control of
gene expression and genome organization. The fundamental structural unit of
eukaryote chromatin is the nucleosome, a drum-like structure comprise an octamer
of four core histones – H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 – wrapped with 147 bp of genomic
DNA (Hayes and Hansen 2001; Wolffe 1992). Dynamic changes in chromatin
6
S. Akbarian et al.
structure influence the accessibility of genomic DNA by transcription factors and
are mediated by two interrelated molecular mechanisms: chromatin remodeling and
histone tail modification (Felsenfeld and Groudine 2003). Chromatin remodeling is
defined by the ATP-dependent mobilization of genomic DNA wrapped around the
nucleosome core particle (Peterson 2002), and this process is tightly coupled with
the histone tail modification machinery. Specific residues of the histone N-terminal
tails are subjected to a variety of posttranslational and covalent modifications; these
modifications exert their effects on chromatin structure and function via recruitment
of a diverse array of chromatin binding proteins, resulting in either activation or
repression of transcription. Specific combinations of these histone modifications
working in concert to bring about a particular effect on transcription is referred to as
the “histone code” (Berger 2002; Iizuka and Smith 2003; Jenuwein and Allis 2001;
Peterson and Laniel 2004; Wang et al. 2004).
The acetylation of specific lysine residues in the N-terminal tails of H3 and H4 is
associated with active gene expression, while deacetylation of these residues results
in transcriptional silencing, chromatin condensation, and heterochromatin formation (Berger 2002; Iizuka and Smith 2003; Jenuwein and Allis 2001; Peterson and
Laniel 2004; Wang et al. 2004). In addition, differential methylation, SUMOlyation, and ubiquitination of specific lysine residues, as well as phosphorylation of
specific serine and methylation of selected arginine residues of H3 and H4 are
associated with specific effects on transcription in eukaryotes, including humans
(Berger 2002; Fischle et al. 2003; Iizuka and Smith 2003; Jenuwein and Allis 2001;
Peterson and Laniel 2004; Wang et al. 2004). Of note, histone lysine residues can
carry up to three methyl groups. These mono-, di-, and trimethylated forms of lysine
residues show cell-specific regulation during development (Biron et al. 2004) and
are differentially distributed across chromatin fibers (Bernstein et al. 2005). For
example, trimethylated lysine residue 4 of histone H3 localizes to gene promoter
regions, where it is associated with actual or potential transcription, whereas
monomethylation of the same histone residue appears to be predominantly enriched
at enhancer sequences further removed from transcription start sites (Heintzman
et al. 2007) (Fig. 1.1). However, there is still significant overlap between the mono-,
di-, and trimethyl mark of the same lysine residues (Barski et al. 2007). Multiplicity
of function is not limited to the H3 lysine 4 residue, for example, the monomethylated forms of lysines 9 and 27 of histone H3 and lysine 20 of H4 are linked to gene
activation, while di- or trimethylation of the same residues are associated with
repression (Barski et al. 2007).
Recent postmortem studies provide evidence that histone modifications contribute to transcriptional regulation in the human brain (Ernst et al. 2009; Huang et al.
2006, 2007; Northcott et al. 2009; Stadler et al. 2005). In addition, recent preclinical
studies demonstrated that the gene expression changes in animal models for learning
or drug-induced plasticity is accompanied by dynamic alterations of histone tail
modifications (Alarcon et al. 2004; Guan et al. 2002; Korzus et al. 2004; Kumar et al.
2005; Levine et al. 2005; Li et al. 2004; Swank and Sweatt 2001; Tsankova et al.
2004, 2006). Taken together, these studies suggest that chromatin remodeling and
histone N-terminal tail modifications, which are traditionally explored in dividing
7
Fig. 1.1 Differential regulation of site-specific histone modifications. The various chromosomal
domains and chromatin states are associated with specific histone methylation patterns. Three
specific histone lysine residues, H3K4, H3K9, and H4K20, are choosen as examples to illustrate
this point. The monomethylated form of H3K4 (H3K4me1) is preferentially enriched at enhancer
sequences, while the di- and trimethylated forms (H3K4me2 and H3K4me3, respectively) mostly
define regions around transcription start sites. These marks are typically associated with open
chromatin and show a rough correlation with gene expression levels. In contrast, H3K9 and
H4K20 methyl markings are comparatively dense in constitutive heterochromatin, including
pericentric and telomeric chromosomes and, when found at promoters, typically associated with
negative regulation of transcription. Each of these marks is highly regulated by a specific cache of
site-specific histone methyltransferases and demethylases. For example, the human genome
encodes at least seven methyltransferases specific for H3K4 (KMT2A-H) and four demethylases
having activities toward methylated H3K4 (KDM5A-D)
cells (Berger 2002; Iizuka and Smith 2003; Jenuwein and Allis 2001; Peterson and
Laniel 2004; Wang et al. 2004), also play a critical role in regulation of transcription
within the central nervous system and its postmitotic constituents, including neurons
(Colvis et al. 2005; Jiang et al. 2008a; Martin and Sun 2004).
1.2.2
Histone Modification Changes in Diseased Brain:
When Do They Occur?
The origin of alterations in histone modifications in schizophrenic brain remains
unclear. It is possible that histone modification changes occur very early during
brain development, as the result of an innate, genetic abnormality, or by an external
environmental stimulus. Indeed, the hypothesis that changes in histone modifications
8
S. Akbarian et al.
reflect a stable and long-lasting epigenetic alteration in the brain of subjects
with schizophrenia is currently the predominant theory in the field of psychiatric
epigenetics.
A number of nonpsychiatric diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, have been linked to environmental exposures during fetal development, and these exposures, in turn, have been found to cause epigenetic changes
(Feinberg 2007; Gardner et al. 2007; Roberts 2010; Simmons 2009), leading to the
hypothesis that many adult diseases with epigenetic underpinnings have fetal
origins (Bezek et al. 2008; Doherty et al. 2009). Recently, it has been shown that
certain prenatal environmental factors can influence the epigenetic programs in the
fetal brain, and that these changes are detectable later in life. For example, adult
mice prenatally exposed to cocaine have altered DNA methylation patterns in
hippocampal neurons (Novikova et al. 2008). Environmental stimuli during early
postnatal life have also been shown to influence epigenetic modifications in brain.
One classic study linked the impact of maternal behavior during the first week of
life with the altered DNA methylation at the glucocorticoid receptor in adult mouse
brain (Weaver et al. 2004), demonstrating that the early postnatal environment has
the capacity to influence adult behavior via induction of long-lasting epigenetic
modifications.
Although evidence for heritability of epigenetic patterns is still limited, emerging
data suggest that portions of the human epigenome may be derived from parental
germlines, suggesting that altered histone modifications in schizophrenia could
potentially be inherited. A recent study found that 4% of the haploid genome in
sperm remains associated with nucleosomes (the majority of histones are replaced
by protamine in sperm), and that H3K4me3, H3K4me2, and DNA hypomethylation
were significantly enriched at the promoters of genes critical for early embryonic
development (Hammoud et al. 2009), suggesting that parental genomes may transmit some epigenetic patterns to the offspring. Strikingly, a number of the genes
associated with the H3K4me3 have been implicated in schizophrenia, including
GRIN1, GRM3, GAD1, GABRA2, ERBB4, and DRD2. Alternatively, aberrant
histone modification patterns in schizophrenia could potentially arise later in life,
closer to the time of disease onset. Until recently, histone and DNA methylation
were posited to be stable, irreversible epigenetic marks established during early
development, allowing the generation and maintenance of unique cellular phenotypes (Klose and Zhang 2007; Ooi and Bestor 2008). In contrast, recent evidence
derived from rodent and neuronal cell culture studies suggests that these modifications may, in fact, be reversible and capable of acute change in response to environmental cues (Dong et al. 2007; Tsankova et al. 2006). In addition, recent evidence
indicates that – much like brain development itself – some epigenetic modifications,
including histone and DNA methylation, continue to change in human brain during
the progression from childhood to adulthood (Huang et al. 2007; Siegmund et al.
2007). Thus, it is possible that altered histone modifications arise due to the failure of
normal “development” of epigenetic patterns in the brain during late adolescence or
early adulthood, the typical period for disease onset.
9
In summation, additional studies will be necessary to clarify whether histone
modification changes in schizophrenia postmortem brain represent stable imprints
that exist for an extended period of time, or even precede the age at which clinical
symptoms emerged in an affected individual.
1.2.3
Additional Limitations of Histone-Based Approaches
An increasing number of clinical and translational studies, both in neuroscience and
other fields of medicine exploring disease-related gene expression changes, are
focusing on histone modification profiles at proximal promoters and other sequences
critical for transcriptional regulation (Feinberg 2004; Feng et al. 2007; Li 2002;
Maekawa and Watanabe 2007). In contrast to the more straightforward interpretations for any changes in expression of a specific gene transcript, it is important to
realize that any alterations in histones and their modifications at a specific gene or
gene promoter do not necessarily offer clear inference about potential changes in
underlying gene expression activity.
The first problem that arises is rooted in the enormous degree of cellular
heterogeneity of brain tissue, both in human and animal, with each anatomical
area uniquely defined by highly heterogeneous mixtures of glutamatergic and
GABAergic neurons and various types of glia. All these cells package their genome
into the core nucleosome organization described earlier; thus, both cells that
express a specific RNA and those that do not can potentially carry the same type
of covalent modification at a specific genomic locus. In contrast to in situ hybridization histochemistry and other histological techniques, virtually all chromatin
assays designed to map histone modification patterns lack single-cell resolution.
Importantly, the majority of the preclinical and clinical work focused on detection
of histone or DNA modification changes in neuropsychiatric disease is based on
chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays on brain tissue homogenate, as
opposed to specific cell populations (Jiang et al. 2008b; Matevossian and Akbarian
2008). Therefore, most of these studies assume – but do not prove – that the specific
cell population showing altered mRNA levels is also affected by the histone
modification changes at the corresponding gene as observed in ChIP from tissue
homogenate. This lack of cell resolution in ChIP assays is a significant limitation
of the approach for any brain-related study, including some of the studies from
the authors’ laboratory (Huang and Akbarian 2007; Huang et al. 2007; Schroeder
et al. 2008; Stadler et al. 2005).
A second limitation is based on the fact that specific histone modifications fulfill
a range of functions (Berger 2007). A case in point concerns the H3-trimethyl-lysine 4
mark (H3K4me3), which primarily localizes to transcription start sites with a genomic
occupancy pattern that roughly correlates with that of activated RNA polymerase II;
moreover, there is some positive correlation between H3K4me3 levels at the 50 end of
a gene with levels of the corresponding transcript (Guenther et al. 2007). However,
H3K4me3 is known to be a potential docking site for both activators and repressors of
10
S. Akbarian et al.
transcription, and the actual effects on gene expression activity could follow either
direction, depending on the presence or absence of specific chromatin remodeling
complexes (Li et al. 2006; Shilatifard 2008), which can vary on the basis of the specific
cellular context. Further complicating matters, H3K4me3 is not only a potential
initiator of transcription but also a regulated event downstream from RNA polymerase
II activity (Eissenberg and Shilatifard 2006). To avoid the issue that multiplicity of
function results in ambiguity of interpretation for any histone modification changes
observed in neuropsychiatric disease, it is probably best to probe the genome locus-ofinterest for multiple types of histone modifications. Ideally, these should include
marks associated with both open and repressed chromatin, and the combined histone
modification profiles would be expected to provide important information about
potential epigenetic changes in disease, including faulty repression or activation of
specific gene loci. For representative examples in the field of translational neuroscience, see Stadler et al. (2005) and Tsankova et al. (2006).
1.2.4
Histone Modification Changes at GABAergic Gene
Promoters During Normal Prefrontal Cortex Development
and Alterations in Schizophrenia
The following example illustrates how the study of specific histone modifications in
schizophrenia brain, in combination with preclinical model systems, could potentially provide novel insights about the mechanisms of disease, even when taking into
account the limitations mentioned in the previous section. It is generally accepted
that subjects on the psychosis spectrum frequently show dysfunction and hypoactivity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (Goff and Evins 1998). Furthermore, it is often
hypothesized that schizophrenia is associated with abnormal development of prefrontal and other neuronal circuitries (Harrison and Weinberger 2005). Notably,
normal PFC circuitry does not reach full maturity until, or even after, adolescence
and early adulthood (Fuster 2002; Segalowitz and Davies 2004). One interesting
aspect of normal PFC development is that a substantial portion of the transcriptome
shows a progressive increase in steady-state RNA levels during childhood and while
transitioning from adolescence into young adulthood, potentially affecting many
hundreds or thousands of gene transcripts (Harris et al. 2009; Somel et al. 2009).
These include a number of GABAergic mRNAs, including the 67 kD form of
glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), a GABA synthesis enzyme (Colantuoni
et al. 2008; Huang et al. 2007) that is frequently expressed at decreased levels in
PFC and other cortical areas of adult subjects with schizophrenia (Akbarian and
Huang 2006; Duncan et al. 2010; Impagnatiello et al. 1998; Torrey et al. 2005; Volk
et al. 2000). Given this information, it is tempting to speculate that decreased
GAD67 mRNA in adult subjects with schizophrenia reflects a failure to upregulate
GAD67 gene expression in the developing PFC.
11
Indeed, it was recently reported that maturation of human and rodent cerebral
cortex is associated with a progressive increase in methylation of H3K4 at
GABAergic gene promoters. In the human PFC, GAD67 mRNA and promoterassociated H3K4me3 increased during the transitions from prenatal to childhood to
adult stages (Huang et al. 2007). Furthermore, levels of H3K4me3 at a subset of
GABAergic gene loci, including Gad1 (the gene encoding GAD67), was dependent
on normal gene dosage for Mll1 – an H3K4 specific histone methyltransferase
expressed in GABAergic interneurons – in cortex of Mll1+/ mice (Huang et al.
2007). Interestingly, both H3K4 methylation and Mll1 occupancy were upregulated
at the Gad1 promoter after treatment with the atypical antipsychotic clozapine
(Huang et al. 2007), a drug that improves working memory and other frontal
lobe-associated cognitive functions (Meltzer 2004), suggesting that this epigenetic
mechanism may play an important role in the underlying pathophysiology of
schizophrenia. As a result, Mll1/MLL1-mediated histone lysine methylation at
GABAergic gene loci emerges as a molecular link that interconnects three major
factors in the neurobiology of psychosis: developmental mechanisms, interneuron
dysfunction, and antipsychotic pharmacotherapy.
The Huang et al. (2007) study also illustrates some of the complexities faced by
this field, as the disease-related decline in the GAD67 transcript and GAD1 promoter-associated H3K4me3 levels was not a consistent feature in the clinical
samples, but was dependent on a specific haplotype within a few kilobases from
the GAD1 transcription start site; furthermore, the effect appeared to be genderspecific. Notably, these same polymorphisms around the GAD1 promoter were
previously associated with schizophrenia and accelerated loss of frontal lobe gray
matter (Addington et al. 2005; Straub et al. 2007). Interestingly, subjects with
schizophrenia who are biallelic for the risk haplotype show not only decreased
H3K4me3 but also increased levels of H3K27me3 (Huang et al. 2007), a mark
regulated by repressive Polycomb group chromatin remodeling complexes associated with inhibition of transcription (Wang et al. 2004).
1.2.5
Chromatin and Antipsychotic Medication
At present, very little is known about epigenetic effects of acute and long-term
treatments with conventional (dopamine D2 receptor blocking) antipsychotics, or
the various atypical antipsychotics, which are defined by a much broader receptor
profile involving a range of dopamine and/or serotonin and other receptor systems.
Table 1.1 provides a brief overview of mostly preclinical studies; based on this
material, evidence is emerging that at least a subset of the atypicals, including
clozapine as one of the most efficient antipsychotic drugs currently available,
potentially induce histone acetylation and methylation changes in the cerebral
cortex. In addition, D2-antagonist drugs induce various histone phosphorylation
and phosphoacetylation (a dual modification defined by the phosphorylation of
a serine residue in conjunction with acetylation of a neighboring lysine residue)
12
S. Akbarian et al.
Table 1.1 Histone modification changes after antipsychotic and mood stabilizer treatment
Study
Histone (modification)
Medication effects
Nuclei staining with histonePimozide normalized chromatin
Stefanis and
sensitive dyes
staining patterns in white blood
Issidorides
cells of patients with
(1976)
schizophrenia
Canoso and de
Nuclear antibodies reacting
Chlorpromazine induces or raises
Oliveira (1986)
with histone antigen
serum antibody levels in
patients with schizophrenia
Kumar et al. (1997)
Protein kinase C-catalyzed
Chlorpromazine mediated an
histone phosphorylatiion
inhibitory effect in the in vitro
assay
Loncar-Stevanovic
Chromatin accessibility
Chlorpromazine increased DNAseI
et al. (1998)
susceptibility and chromatin
degradation in isolated rat brain
nuclei
Phiel et al. (2001)
H4 acetylation
Valproic acid upregulates
acetylation in neuro2A cells
Li et al. (2004)
Histone H3-phosphoserine
Acute exposure to haloperidol is
10-acetyl-lysine 14
associated with increased
phospho-acetylation in striatal
neurons
Simonini et al.
H3 acetylation
Valproic acid upregulates
(2006)
acetylation in mouse
hippocampus, striatum,
prefrontal cortex
Sharma et al. (2006) H3 and H4 acetylation
Valproic acid normalizes or
upregulates acetylation in
lymphocytes of bipolar and
schizophrenia patients
Huang et al. (2007)
H3 lysine 4 trimethylation
Mice treated with clozapine show
increased H3K4me3 at GAD1/
GAD67 GABAergic gene
promoter; postmortem brain
(prefrontal cortex) of patients
treated with clozapine show
higher GAD1-associated
H3K4me3 as compared with
patients treated with typical
antipsychotic
Dong et al. (2008)
DNA cytosine methylation
L-methionine-induced
hypermethylation at the
REELIN gene promoter is
attenuated in frontal cortex of
mice exposed to clozapine,
sulpride, and valproic acid
Dong et al. (2008)
H3 lysine 9 and 14 acetylation
Increased in mouse frontal cortex
after cotreatment with
clozapine and valproic acid
Bertran-Gonzalez
Histone H3 phosphorylation
Haloperidol-mediated increase in
et al. (2008)
striatal neurons
(continued)
13
Table 1.1 (continued)
Study
Histone (modification)
Leng et al. (2008)
Histone acetylation
Medication effects
In cerebellar granule cells, lithium
enhanced the upregulation of
acetylation and
phosphorylation by several
histone deacetylase inhibitor
drugs, including valproic acid,
sodium butyrate, trichostatin A,
and panibinostat
Guidotti et al. (2009) DNA cytosine methylation at
Clozapine and sulpride but not
Gad67 and reelin promoters
haloperidol decreased
L-methionine-induced DNA
hypermethylation in mouse
frontal cortex
Guidotti et al. (2009) H3 lysine 9 and 14 acetylation at
Increased in mouse frontal cortex
Gad67 and reelin promoters
after clozapine and sulpiride
exposure
Bertran-Gonzalez
H3 phospho-serine 10 and H3
Haloperidol-mediated upregulation
et al. (2009)
phospho-serine 10-acetylin striatopallidal medium spiny
lysine 14
neurons
Chlorpromazine and thorazine. Typical antipsychotics of the phenothiazine class. Antagonist for
dopamine receptors D1, D2, D3, and D4; serotonin receptors 5-HT1 and 5-HT2, a1-, and
a2-adrenergic receptors; and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M1 and M2
Chlozapine. Atypical antipsychotic drug used for treatment of treatment resistant forms of
schizophrenia. High affinity for the D4 receptor and partial 5-HT1A agonist
Haloperidol. Typical antipsychotic drug of the butyrophenone class used in psychotic episodes
and in schizophrenia treatment. Strong D2 receptor antagonist
Lithium. In form of lithiumcarbonat the metal is used as a mood stabilizing drug to treat bipolar
disorder, depression, and mania
Pimozide or orap. Antipsychotic drug of the diphenylbutylpiperidine class. Blocks strongly the
D2 receptor, D3, a1-adrenergic, and 5-HT2A. Moderate blockade has been observed for D1, D4,
a2-adrenergic receptors, and the dopamine transporter (DAT)
Sulpride. Antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia and depression. Selective antagonist of
postsynaptic D2 receptors
Valproic acid. Anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug. Used to treat seizures, bipolar disorder,
and schizophrenia. Indirect GABA agonist by blocking the function of GABA transaminase. Some
of the effects of VPA are due to its function as a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) leading to
changes in gene expression. VPA is a classical HDACi, which blocks class I and II HDACs
Panobinostat. Experimental cancer drug, which works as a histone deacetylase inhibitor
Sodium butyrate. Classical histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), which blocks class I and II
HDACs
Trichostatine A. Histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), which blocks class I and II
changes in striatum, which is an anatomical area in the forebrain densely innervated
by dopaminergic fibers, and a key structure for the neuronal circuitry involved in
psychosis. Currently, it remains unknown whether these changes are important for
antipsychotic action or some sort of epiphenomena unimportant for treatment.
Moreover, the molecular mechanisms mediating antipsychotic-induced (phospho)
acetylation of striatal histones, and acetylation and methylation of histones in the
cerebral cortex remain unknown. In contrast to the mood-stabilizing drug valproic
14
S. Akbarian et al.
acid, which functions as a broadly acting histone deacetylase inhibitor both in intact
brain and cultured cells, the histone methylation changes induced by the atypical
clozapine require intact brain circuitry and are not apparent in neuronal culture
(Huang and Akbarian 2007; Huang et al. 2007). Together, these findings would
suggest that antipsychotic drugs could potentially interfere with the regulation of
histone modification in brain cells, but these effects are likely to be indirect and
unexplained by a direct action on specific chromatin remodeling proteins or histone
modification enzymes. Meanwhile, there are also a few reports on antipsychoticinduced changes in white blood cell chromatin of patients, but the field, in general,
has given little attention to these studies. To date, nothing is known about any
chromatin-associated changes in the endocrine system of the pancreas and other
organ systems implicated in metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes, which
emerge as the most frequent side effects resulting from long-term exposure to a
subset of atypical antipsychotics. Without question, epigenetic regulation, in the
context of antipsychotic medication, is potentially a vital but largely unexplored
topic.
Acknowledgments Work in the authors’ laboratory is supported by grants from the National
Institute of Health, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and the International Mental Health
Research Organization (IMHRO).
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.
Chapter 2
Epigenetic Regulation of GABAergic Targets
in Psychiatry
Dennis R. Grayson, Marija Kundakovic, Ying Chen, Erbo Dong,
and Alessandro Guidotti
Abstract One of the more consistent findings observed in post mortem tissue from
schizophrenia (SZ) patients is that the genes encoding reelin and glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67 or GAD1) are downregulated in cortex and other brain
regions. Reelin is important for cortical migration during development and for
synaptic plasticity and memory acquisition in the adult. GAD1 is one of two
enzymes that synthesize the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the central
nervous system. Those neurons that make GABA are GABAergic and they serve
a role in dampening excitatory neurotransmission throughout the brain. In addition,
reports also show that NMDA receptor subunit expression and excitatory neurotransmission are reduced in cortical GABA neurons of SZ patients. Conditional
knockout mice in which the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor is selectively
reduced in GABA neurons of the brain show a downregulation of GAD67 and
parvalbumin (PV) mRNAs and also exhibit behaviors characteristic of SZ. These
findings allow us to conceptually integrate two major schools of thought regarding
the neurotransmitter deficit responsible for the symptoms of this psychiatric disorder. That is, if reduced glutamatergic neurotransmission occurs on GABAergic
interneurons, the net effect would be reduced GABA output impacting the neuronal
synchronization of pyramidal cell firing. Since it has also been shown that in
GABAergic neurons, the mRNA encoding DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is
increased in SZ patients, this and other data suggest an epigenetic mechanism by
which certain genes may be selectively downregulated contributing to SZ symptomatology. We propose that enzymes that methylate DNA and selectively reduce
gene expression are hyperactive in patients with SZ and that this may be related to
the pathogenesis of the disease. Here, we discuss these concepts in more detail and
present our integrated view of synaptic transmission in SZ.
D.R. Grayson (*), M. Kundakovic, Y. Chen, E. Dong, and A. Guidotti
Department of Psychiatry, The Psychiatric Institute, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at
Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
e-mail: dgrayson@psych.uic.edu
23
24
D.R. Grayson et al.
Keywords Cortex DNA methylation Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) Gene expression Schizophrenia
2.1
Etiopathogenetic Mechanisms Underlying Schizophrenia
and Bipolar Disorder
For several decades, monoamines (e.g., dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine)
(Gray and Roth 2007; Hayman 2008; Lieberman et al. 2008) were the primary
biochemical targets used to monitor molecular changes in the brain associated with
psychoses. However, since the available antipsychotics that act on monoamine
transmission fail to improve the negative and cognitive symptoms associated with
psychosis, it is conceivable that an alteration of the monoaminergic system may not
be the only source of the spectrum of clinical symptoms in SZ and bipolar disorder
(BPD) patients. In fact, a compelling argument based on a comprehensive review of
the literature suggests that dopaminergic signaling may represent the final common
pathway impacted in SZ (Howes and Kapur 2009). Moreover, these authors suggest
that future drug development should focus more on neurotransmitters such as GABA
and glutamate, which act upstream of dopamine and that are likely to represent the
primary defects associated with the disease. This concept was shaped in part by the
notion that dopamine dysregulation, which is more closely linked with psychosis
than to SZ, is associated with an altered release presynaptically rather than at the
level of dopamine receptors. Presynaptic hyperdopaminergic release in particular
brain regions is often linked to excessive excitatory receptor stimulation that is often
modulated by GABAergic interneurons (Lisman et al. 2008).
Recent studies have identified abnormalities in GABA, glutamate, and acetylcholine neurotransmitter systems associated with SZ and BPD morbidity (Benes
et al. 2007; Akbarian et al. 1995; Breese et al. 2000; Guidotti et al. 2000, 2005; Woo
et al. 2005; Lewis et al. 2005). However, it is unclear whether these anomalies cause
or are a consequence of these psychiatric disorders.
A number of factors may be responsible for the slow progress in identifying
etiopathogenetic mechanisms underlying SZ and BPD. Factors that hamper progress in the discovery of satisfactory drug treatments include (1) the inability to
identify alleles that confer increased risk for these diseases in the majority of
patients, (2) the poorly understood neurobiological bases of cognition, emotion,
and executive brain function that are disrupted in SZ and BPD; (3) the fact that SZ
and BPD are diseases exclusively expressed in the human brain; thus any animal
models will not represent all the symptoms and signs of the disease; and (4) the
scarcity of well-validated accessible objective brain biomarkers that can reveal
psychotic dysfunction in patients. The lack of objective testing means that diagnosis
of SZ or BPD has to be made on the basis of phenomenological criteria established
by clinical experts originating from the neuropsychiatric symptoms at presentation,
subsequent drug responsiveness, symptom progression, and illness epidemiology.
2 Epigenetic Regulation of GABAergic Targets in Psychiatry
25
Thus, this approach will not enable the identification of new drug targets or novel
therapeutic mechanisms.
A recent theory is that these disorders may be the outcome of synergistic
interactions between multiple susceptibility genes and environmental (neuroepigenomic) factors (Costa et al. 2007; Mellios et al. 2009; Mill et al. 2008; Ptak and
Petronis 2008). However, this concept is still new and should be supported by
studies identifying the underlying molecular events. Accordingly, the discovery of
the primary epigenetic molecular mechanisms that induce downstream abnormalities of the multiple genes and neurotransmitters that are altered in brains of patients
with SZ and BPD is essential.
2.2
Dysfunctional GABA/Glutamate Interactions
in SZ and BPD
Several lines of evidence suggest that telencephalic GABAergic transmission may
be defective in psychosis (Benes et al. 1992; Akbarian et al. 1995; Guidotti et al.
2000, 2005; Lewis et al. 2005). As a case in point, the expression of glutamic
acid decarboxylase (GAD67, GAD1), reelin, Reln, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
subunits (GRIN), tyrosine kinase-B (TRKB), and other genes such as GABAtransporter-1 (GAT-1), nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), somatostatin
(SST), and numerous calcium binding proteins (Akbarian et al. 1995; Breese et al.
2000; Guidotti et al. 2000, 2005; Woo et al. 2005; Lewis et al. 2005; Costa et al.
2007; Hashimoto et al. 2008; Mellios et al. 2009; Mill et al. 2008) is decreased in
GABAergic neurons of the Stratum oriens and Straum reticularis of the hippocampus, or the basal ganglia, or in GABAergic neuronal populations located either in
the upper cortical layers or proximal to layer III/V pyramidal neurons of SZ patients
(Ruzicka et al. 2007; Veldic et al. 2007). However, not all genes expressed in
GABAergic neurons are downregulated in psychosis. In fact, the expression of
GAD65 mRNA and protein is unchanged in GABAergic neurons of SZ and BPD
patients (Guidotti et al. 2000). This suggests that the downregulation of GABAergic
function is not due to a loss of GABAergic neurons.
There is also abundant evidence that glutamatergic transmission may be altered in SZ (Homayoun and Moghaddam 2007; Lisman et al. 2008). Recent data
support the concept that insufficient stimulation of NMDA-selective glutamate
receptors (GRIN1/GRIN2A receptor containing assemblies) expressed by
GABAergic interneurons leads to insufficient GABA release at synapses on cortical
pyramidal neurons (Belforte et al. 2010). This could explain why NMDA receptor
antagonists such as phencyclidine and dizocilpine (MK-801) induce psychotic
episodes when these compounds are ingested (Lisman et al. 2008). It also explains,
in part, why metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonists that facilitate
glutamate release onto GABAergic interneurons may prove beneficial to SZP
(Conn et al. 2008). Because most of the observed cortical mRNA changes in SZP
have been localized to GABAergic interneurons (at least in the cortex), our
26
D.R. Grayson et al.
hypothesis is consistent with a disruption of pyramidal neuron synchronization
mediated by an inhibitory hypofunction occurring at the level of presynaptic
interneurons.
This model was also suggested by recent molecular and behavioral findings in
which the NR1 subunit gene (Grin1) of the NMDA-selective glutamate receptor
complex was selectively knocked out in cortical and hippocampal GABA interneurons of mice (Belforte et al. 2009). Using the cre-loxP system, these investigators
created conditional mutant mice in which the NR1 subunit of the NMDA-selective
glutamate receptor was ablated during early postnatal development. Interestingly,
the loss of the NR1 subunit in ~50% of cortical and hippocampal inhibitory interneurons resulted in the onset of SZ-related symptoms in adolescence. This included
novelty-induced hyperlocomotion, mating and nest-building defects, anhedonia,
and anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, social memory, spatial working memory,
and prepulse inhibition were also impaired. Ultimately, these mice showed reduced
expression of Gad67 and parvalbumin accompanied by disinhibition of cortical
pyramidal neurons and reduced neuronal synchronization (Belforte et al. 2010).
These data are consistent with the hypothesis that reduced glutamatergic stimulation
of cortical GABA interneurons results in decreased GABA release and hence
inhibitory hypofunction.
This hypothesis (Fig. 2.1) also accounts for both the GABA neuron deficits and
the glutamatergic deficits that have thus far been described in SZ and BPD (Lisman
et al. 2008). We suggest that NMDA-selective glutamate receptors on cortical
Fig. 2.1 Cortical circuitry links multiple neuronal subtypes. Phenotypically distinct neurons
reside in different cortical layers. GABAergic interneurons (aqua) function to modulate the output
of pyramidal (tan) and other neurons. We propose that the reduced expression of GAD1
(also known as GAD67) and other GABAergic markers (SST, NPY, CCK, CB1, PV, and
GAT1), along with reduced levels of GRIN1- and GRIN2A-containing glutamate receptors,
contributes to reduced GABA release. This GABA hypofunction causes decreased pyramidal
neuron synchronization
27
GABA neurons are reduced in SZ due to an epigenetic defect in these GABA
neurons arising from upregulation of DNA methyltransferase 1 gene (DNMT1). As
described below, the hyperexpression of DNMT1 results in promoter methylation
and mRNA downregulation of selected genes expressed in GABA neurons of
affected individuals.
2.3
Downregulation of GAD67 and Reelin Promoters
in SZ and BPD
GAD67 is the most important enzyme regulating GABA synthesis and function
(Soghomonian and Martin 1998; Guidotti et al. 2005). Consequently, it has been
hypothesized that the reduced expression of GAD67 in telencephalic GABAergic
neurons of psychotic patients markedly reduces the effectiveness of the GABAergic
inhibitory neurotransmission that impinges on the dendrites and on the initial axon
segments of pyramidal neurons (Fig. 2.1). This deficit of inhibitory neurotransmitters disrupts the intermittent synchronization of pyramidal neuron firing that is
critical to the most advantageous performance of cognitive function (GonzalezBurgos and Lewis 2008).
In psychosis, not only GAD67 but also reelin is markedly downregulated
(Impagnatiello et al. 1998; Fatemi et al. 2000; Guidotti et al. 2000; Ruzicka et al.
2007; Veldic et al. 2007). Reelin is a large (400 kDa) extracellular matrix protein
synthesized in large quantities in hippocampal GABAergic interneurons and in
GABAergic neurons of cortical layers I and II. Upon secretion from GABAergic
interneurons, reelin adheres to postsynaptic densities located on dendritic spines and
shafts of pyramidal neurons (D’Arcangelo et al. 1995; Costa et al. 2001). As a result,
reelin is believed to play a significant role not only in dendritic spine formation and
maturation but also in glutamate receptor homeostasis (Costa et al. 2001; Levenson
et al. 2008). On the basis of this role, reduced GAD67 and reelin signaling is almost
certainly a reason for the reduced number of dendritic spines (Costa et al. 2001),
decreased numbers of glutamate receptors (Levenson et al. 2008), increases in
muscimol binding (Benes et al. 1992), and the compensatory increase of postsynaptic a5 (Guidotti et al. 2005) and a2 (Lewis et al. 2005) GABAA receptor subunits
present in pyramidal neurons of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in SZ and BPD patients.
Because of this evidence, we and others (Benes et al. 1992; Akbarian et al. 1995;
Guidotti et al. 2000, 2005; Lewis et al. 2005) have suggested that SZ or BPD are
diseases characterized predominantly by a deficit of GABAergic function. Not only
that, we have postulated that GABAergic neurotransmission may become an
important primary research target in the development of more efficient and less
toxic treatments for major psychosis. For instance, a positive allosteric modulator
of GABA action at GABAA receptors that is devoid of tolerance liability and
sedative action is, in our judgment (Guidotti et al. 2005), a significant candidate
for use in therapeutic interventions in psychosis and should be further investigated.
28
2.4
D.R. Grayson et al.
Epigenetic Mechanisms Are Probably a Component
in the GABAergic Dysfunction Expressed
by SZ and BPD Patients
Since the deficit of GAD67 and reelin mRNA expression in GABAergic neurons of
psychotic patients can be ascribed to genetic abnormalities (copy number variations, deletions, or polymorphisms) in only a few cases, the inheritance and
selective pathology of GABAergic neurons may be better understood in the context
of epigenetic factors acting on susceptible candidate genes (Costa et al. 2007; Mill
et al. 2008; Ptak and Petronis 2008). This hypothesis is supported by data from SZ
and BPD patients that show (1) an increased number of cortical GABAergic
neurons that stain positive for DNMT1 and DNMT3a mRNA and protein (Veldic
et al. 2007; Zhubi et al. 2009); (2) an increased PFC level of S-adenosyl-methionine
(SAM), the universal methyl donor utilized by DNA-methyltransferases (DNMTs)
(Guidotti et al. 2007); and (3) the promoter hypermethylation in reelin and other
genes observed in GABAergic neurons (Chen et al. 2002; Abdolmaleky et al. 2005;
Grayson et al. 2005; Mill et al. 2008).
2.5
Upregulation of DNA-Methyltransferases
and Downregulation of GABAergic Promoters
In our laboratory, studies of postmortem brain have shown that the downregulation
of GAD67 and reelin mRNAs in the PFC and basal ganglia of psychotic patients
is associated with a significant increase of DNMT1 and DNMT3a in GABAergic
neurons (Veldic et al. 2004, 2005, 2007; Ruzicka et al. 2007; Zhubi et al. 2009).
DNMTs are the enzymes that transfer a methyl group from SAM to cytosines, most
often in a CpG dinucleotide context (Van Emburgh and Robertson 2008). It is
notable that in the neocortex, DNMT1 and DNMT3a, which are the most abundant
DNA methyltransferases present in the brain, are highly expressed in GABAergic
interneurons and are expressed at very low levels in pyramidal neurons and in glial
cells (Veldic et al. 2004, 2005, 2007; Ruzicka et al. 2007; Zhubi et al. 2009).
In primary cultures of mouse cortical GABAergic neurons, we showed that an
antisense-mediated reduction of Dnmt1 protein was accompanied by a reduction of
Reln and Gad67 promoter methylation and by increased reelin and Gad67 mRNA
expression. These data support the importance of Dnmts as an epigenetic regulator
of gene expression in GABAergic neurons (Noh et al. 2005). More significantly, an
antisense-induced knockdown of Dnmt1 blocks the methionine-induced downregulation of reelin and Gad67 mRNA expression (Noh et al. 2005). We recently
reported (Satta et al. 2008) that the decrease (~50%) of cortical Dnmt1 mRNA and
protein induced in mice following protracted subcutaneous nicotine administration
(0.75–2.5 mg/kg, four times a day for 4 days) is associated with a comparable
29
decrease of Dnmt1 protein, a 40–50% decrease of Gad67 promoter methylation, and
an overexpression of Gad67 protein in GABAergic interneurons. The increase of
DNMT1 and to a lesser extent of DNMT3a mRNA in the brains of SZ and BPD
patients is probably specific to these illnesses. In contrast, in the brains of suicidal/
depressed patients, an increase of DNMT3b but not DNMT1 or DNMT3a mRNA
has been reported (Poulter et al. 2008). It appears that the overexpression of
DNMT1 and DNMT3a mRNA in the brains of SZ and BPD patients cannot be
ascribed to demographic factors (gender, onset of illness, or duration of illness) or
to the type, dose, or duration of antipsychotic administration. In fact, there was
no change in cortical Dnmt1 mRNA content in mice that received haloperidol
(1 mg/kg) or clozapine (5 mg/kg) subcutaneously for 21 days (Satta, this laboratory,
personal communication). These data are in keeping with the concept that the
downregulation in the expression of various genes in GABAergic neurons of SZ
and BPD patients may be related to a DNMT1/DNMT3a-mediated methylation of
the corresponding promoters (Costa et al. 2007; Mill et al. 2008).
This conclusion may be related to clinical reports dating to the late 1960s
indicating that daily administration of high doses of methionine exacerbated or
even triggered psychotic episodes in a SZ patient subpopulation (Wyatt et al. 1971).
Since the administration of high doses of methionine increases the brain content of
SAM (Tremolizzo et al. 2002, 2005), it may be inferred that the increased cortical
availability of SAM associated with the increased expression of DNMTs may
be responsible for this hypermethylation of promoters in SZ and BPD patients
(Guidotti et al. 2007).
Taken together, these data suggest the hypothesis that the GABAergic mRNA
downregulation occurring in SZ and BPD is likely the consequence of transcriptional repression due to promoter hypermethylation directly induced by DNMT
overexpression. An alternative hypothesis is that the inhibitory action of DNMTs
on GABAergic gene expression could be mediated by an interaction of DNMT with
specific chromatin repressor proteins (e.g., methyl-CpG binding domain proteins,
SIN3A, and histone deacetylases [HDACs]), which repress transcription via a
modification of chromatin structure (i.e., shifting chromatin from a permissive
open conformation to a repressive closed conformation).
Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that in the PFC, reelin expression
in humans is inversely related to DNMT1 expression (Veldic et al. 2004, 2005, 2007;
Ruzicka et al. 2007; Zhubi et al. 2009) and in human neuroprogenitor (NT2) cells
is regulated through changes in methylation status and chromatin structure in the
vicinity of the promoter (Kundakovic et al. 2009). A goal of our recent research
has been to establish the precise molecular mechanism(s) responsible for the DNMTmediated epigenetic regulation of genes encoding reelin and GAD67. Here, we report
our findings from in vitro studies that (1) confirm the coordinated regulation of the
human reelin and GAD67 promoters and (2) elucidate the molecular mechanisms that
underlie this regulation.
An appreciation of this information provides a mechanistic rationale for our
epigenetic hypothesis of SZ and BPD and for developing new pharmacological
treatments for these diseases.
30
2.6
D.R. Grayson et al.
Epigenetic Drugs Coordinately Upregulate Reelin
and GAD67 mRNA Expression
We first tested the hypothesis that human reelin and GAD67 genes are coordinately
regulated through epigenetic mechanisms. We treated NT2 cells with two different
classes of epigenetic drugs, DNMT inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors. Our studies
demonstrated that three distinct DNMT inhibitors: a DNA intercalator doxorubicin
(DOXO) and two nucleoside analogues, 5-aza-20 -deoxycytidine (AZA) and zebularine (ZEB), are able to significantly increase reelin and GAD67 mRNA levels
(Kundakovic et al. 2007, 2009). Similarly, three structurally unrelated HDAC
inhibitors: MS-275 (benzamide derivative), valproic acid (VPA; aliphatic acid),
and trichostatin A (TSA; hydroxamate) induce reelin and GAD67 mRNA expression in our cell system (Kundakovic et al. 2009).
To strengthen the conclusion that reelin and GAD67 promoters are coordinately
regulated, we further examined the expression patterns of these mRNAs following
treatment with the DNMT inhibitor DOXO and the HDAC inhibitor MS-275
(Figs. 2.2 and 2.3). Importantly, the detailed studies with DOXO and MS-275
produced similar findings and demonstrated that reelin and GAD67 mRNA induction occurs (a) in a comparable dose-dependent manner (as shown by the very
Fig. 2.2 DOXO and MS-275 lead to dose-dependent increases in reelin and GAD67 mRNAs.
Results of quantitative analysis of reelin (RELN) and GAD67 mRNA levels following 48-h treatments of NT-2 cells with (a) DOXO (0.01–1 mM) and (b) MS-275 (0.1–10 mM) are presented as
dose–response curves. RT-PCR data are plotted as a percent of maximal (reelin or GAD67) mRNA
increase (y-axis) as a function of log [drug concentration] (shown on the x-axis). EC50 is the
concentration of drug that leads to 50% of maximal reelin or GAD67 mRNA increases. Results
are expressed as the mean S.E.M. of three independent experiments. Dose–response curves are
generated using Prism version 5 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA), and EC50 values are
compared by F-test. Panels a (Kundakovic 2009) and b (Kundakovic et al. 2007) are reprinted
with permission of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
31
Fig. 2.3 Both DOXO and MS-275 increase reelin and GAD67 mRNA expression in a similar
time-dependent manner. Results of quantitative analysis of reelin (RELN), GAD67, and G3PDH
mRNA levels in NT-2 cells treated for various times with (a) 100 nM DOXO or (b) 5 mM MS-275.
Data (mean S.E.M. from at least three independent experiments) are presented as amounts (pg)
of reelin, GAD67, and G3PDH mRNA per 1 mg of total RNA at the indicated time points (x-axis).
Panels a (Kundakovic 2009) and b (Kundakovic et al. 2007) are reprinted with permission of the
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
similar EC50 and EC100 values for the induction of both mRNAs for each drug)
(Fig. 2.2); and (b) within the same time frame (both mRNAs begin to be induced
~12 h after starting individual DOXO or MS-275 treatments) (Fig. 2.3). The similar
concentration-dependence and temporal activation patterns of reelin and GAD67
mRNAs by drugs that target the epigenome strongly support our hypothesis that
these two genes are coordinately regulated through epigenetic mechanisms.
2.7
Activation of the Reelin and GAD67 Promoters
Is Associated with Downregulation of the DNMT1,
DNMT3A, and DNMT3B Proteins
It is of interest that both groups of drugs (DNMT and HDAC inhibitors) downregulate DNMT1 protein, suggesting a link between DNMT1 content and reelin
gene and GAD67 mRNA expression (Figs. 2.4a, b). Interestingly, the DNMT
32
D.R. Grayson et al.
Fig. 2.4 DNMT inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors downregulate DNMT1 protein expression. The
representative Western immunoblots and the ratio of the DNMT1 band over the area of the b-actin
band in nuclear extract protein samples from untreated cells (control) and cells treated with either
(a and b) DNMT inhibitor DOXO (100 and 250 nM, 48 h) or (d and e) HDAC inhibitors MS-275
(5 mM, 48 h), TSA (0.3 mM, 24 h), VPA (5 mM, 24 h), and an inactive stereoisomer of MS-275
(MS-IN, 5 mM, 48 h); bar graphs show DNMT1 mRNA levels in the same DOXO-treated (c) and
HDAC inhibitor-treated cells (f) obtained using a competitive RT-PCR assay. Data are presented
as amount of DNMT1 mRNA (in pg) per 1 mg total RNA and normalized to the corresponding
G3PDH mRNA levels. Data represent the mean SEM. ***p < 0.001; *p < 0.05 vs. control
group. (One-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test.) Panels b, c (Kundakovic 2009) and d, e
(Kundakovic et al. 2007) are reprinted with permission of the American Society for Pharmacology
and Experimental Therapeutics
inhibitor DOXO does not change DNMT1 mRNA levels (Fig. 2.4c), implying that
DNMT inhibitors reduce DNMT1 posttranscriptionally. On the other hand, HDAC
inhibitors decrease DNMT1 mRNA expression under the same conditions
(Fig. 2.4d–f), suggesting that these drugs downregulate DNMT1, at least in part,
by affecting its mRNA synthesis and/or degradation. Importantly, the downregulation of DNMT1 precedes reelin and GAD67 mRNA induction (Kundakovic et al.
2009), implicating a role for this protein in regulating reelin and GAD67 promoters.
Importantly, the activation of reelin and GAD67 mRNA expression with both
33
Fig. 2.5 DNMT and HDAC inhibitors decrease DNMT3A and DNMT3B protein levels. Western
blot analyses of DNMT3A and DNMT3B proteins were performed using nuclear extracts prepared
from control cells and cells treated with either DNMT inhibitors (a and b) or HDAC inhibitors
(c and d). For assays with DNMT inhibitors, cells were treated with 250 nM DOXO (48 h), 5 mM
AZA (48 h), or 500 mM ZEB (48 h followed by 48-h incubation with untreated medium). HDAC
inhibitor treatments were performed as follows: 5 mM MS-275 (48 h), 5 mM MS-IN (48 h), 0.3 mM
TSA (24 h), and 5 mM VPA (24 h). In all cases (a–d), representative Western blots are shown
(upper panels) together with the graphs depicting the ratio of the DNMT3A or DNMT3B (both
isoforms) band over the area of the b-actin band (lower panels). Data represent the mean S.E.M.
of three independent experiments. ***p < 0.001 vs. control group (one-way ANOVA followed by
Bonferroni test). Reprinted (Kundakovic et al. 2007) with permission of the American Society for
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
DNMT and HDAC inhibitors was also associated with the downregulation of two
other DNMT enzymes, DNMT3A and DNMT3B, in nuclei of NT-2 cells (Fig. 2.5).
Figure 2.5a shows the effects of DNMT inhibitors on DNMT3A protein levels,
while Fig. 2.5c shows the same for various HDAC inhibitors. Similarly, Fig. 2.5b
34
D.R. Grayson et al.
shows the results obtained using selected DNMT inhibitors on DNMT3B protein
with comparable results using various HDAC inhibitors shown below (Fig. 2.5d).
The inactive enantiomer of MS-275 had no effect on the level of either protein.
2.8
Epigenetic Drugs Facilitate the Dissociation of
DNMT-Containing Repressor Complexes from Reelin
and GAD67 Promoters
Our studies provide evidence that all three DNMT proteins, DNMT1, DNMT3A,
and DNMT3B, might participate in the formation of transcriptional repressor
complexes at the reelin and GAD67 promoters (Fig. 2.6). These complexes also
include MeCP2 and HDAC1 proteins. Our data support the concept that treatment
with DNMT inhibitors (Kundakovic et al. 2009) and HDAC inhibitors (Fig. 2.6)
results in the dissociation of all three DNMT proteins, together with MeCP2 and
HDAC1, from both promoters. Increased local histone acetylation was also
observed, implying that both classes of drugs facilitate the relaxation of chromatin
Fig. 2.6 Reelin and GAD67 gene activation is accompanied by dissociation of repressor complexes from the corresponding promoters. NT-2 cells were treated with either 5 mM of HDAC
inhibitor MS-275 or 5 mM of its inactive stereoisomer MS-IN for 48 h. (a) RT-PCR analysis
confirmed that reelin and GAD67 mRNAs were induced by MS-275 compared to MS-IN treatment. (b) The corresponding chromatin preparations were immunoprecipitated with DNMT1,
DNMT3A, DNMT3B, MeCP2, HDAC1, and Ac-H3 antibodies (IPs). Nonimmunoprecipitated
samples were used as negative controls (No Ab). DNA isolated from inputs, Ips, and control
samples were PCR-amplified using primers specific for the reelin, GAD67, and G3PDH promoter
regions. Relative optical densities (RODs) of the bands derived from ethidium bromide-stained
gels were quantified. (c) Graphs show the results (mean S.E.M. of three independent experiments) of semiquantitative analysis of the occupancy of DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, MeCP2,
HDAC1, and Ac-H3 on the reelin (upper panel) and GAD67 (lower panel) promoters in MS-INand MS-275-treated cells, normalized to input DNA (each comparison MS-IN vs. MS-275 showed
a statistical significance of at least p < 0.05, t-test). Reprinted (Kundakovic et al. 2007) with
permission of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
35
surrounding the reelin and GAD67 promoters. In addition, each inhibitor reduces
total nuclear DNMT enzyme activity and facilitates a reduction in DNA methylation in the same reelin and GAD67 promoter regions that are associated with
changes in chromatin structure (Kundakovic et al. 2009). These data imply that
the formation of the repressor complexes is likely DNA-methylation dependent.
Furthermore, we suggest that promoter demethylation might not be required for a
slight to moderate induction of reelin and GAD67 transcription, but is likely
relevant for maximal activation of these two promoters.
2.9
Discussion
Results from our studies provide evidence that the human reelin and GAD67
promoters are coordinately regulated through epigenetic mechanisms and also
suggest an underlying molecular mechanism to understand this regulation. Our
data imply that both promoters are negatively regulated through methylationdependent recruitment of transcriptional repressor complexes containing
DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, MeCP2, and HDAC1 proteins. These complexes
reduce the transcriptional activity of the promoters by shifting the surrounding
chromatin into a more compact state, thus resulting in decreased transcription factor
accessibility (Fig. 2.7). While our data are directly applicable to the epigenetic
regulation of the reelin and GAD67 promoters in neuronal progenitor cells, an
increasing body of evidence suggests that similar regulatory mechanisms are
operative in adult GABAergic neurons (Costa et al. 2004, 2006; Szyf et al. 2008).
Further, this study gives new insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie
the downregulation of reelin and GAD67 mRNAs in the brains of SZ. It has been
reported that the reductions in reelin and GAD67 transcripts correlate with increased
DNMT1 and HDAC1 expression in the same GABAergic neurons (Hayes 1989;
Ruzicka et al. 2007; Benes et al. 2007). Therefore, we propose that the upregulation
of DNMT1 mRNA could promote downregulation of the reelin and GAD67 genes
by inducing promoter hypermethylation (Abdolmaleky et al. 2005; Chen et al. 2002;
Grayson et al. 2005) and increased binding of DNMT1- and HDAC1-containing
corepressor complexes to the reelin and GAD67 promoters. According to our data,
these complexes most likely also contain additional DNMTs (DNMT3A and
DNMT3B) and MeCP2 and other proteins as well. However, further studies with
postmortem human brains will be necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
Additionally, we would like to suggest a new approach for the treatment of SZ
that focuses on the reactivation of mRNA expression profiles that are downregulated due to modifications in the epigenome. We report that treatment of neuronal
progenitor cells with various DNMT and HDAC inhibitors leads to a robust
induction of reelin and GAD67 mRNAs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both
classes of epigenetic drugs target DNMT1 and HDAC1, which are aberrantly
expressed in SZ (Fig. 2.7). These drugs downregulate DNMT1 and directly or
indirectly inhibit the repressor activity of HDAC1. Moreover, the same drugs induce
36
D.R. Grayson et al.
Fig. 2.7 Hypothetical model for promoter activation by HDAC and DNMT inhibitors. For
simplicity, promoters are shown as either silent (repressed – OFF) or fully active (ON). The
transcriptionally inactive chromatin structure surrounding the indicated promoter region (upper
panel) is the consequence of cytosine methylation and subsequent recruitment of repressor
proteins, including DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, MeCP2, and HDAC1 (most likely others,
also). The downregulation of DNMT proteins (by DNMT inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors),
together with the inhibition of HDAC enzymatic activity and the decrease in MeCP2 expression
(in the case of the HDAC inhibitors), results in dissociation of these repressor complexes.
This leads to DNA demethylation, histone acetylation, and a relaxation of the chromatin surrounding the respective regulatory regions (lower panel). The more open chromatin configuration
allows the recruitment of specific transcription factors (TFs), such as Sp1 and the general
transcriptional machinery (gray shapes) to the promoters. Collectively, this results in the druginduced epigenetic changes leading to promoter activation (as we have proposed for the reelin
and GAD67 genes)
changes in the methylation status of the CpG-island-containing reelin promoter that
is hypermethylated in the brains of SZ patients (Veldic et al. 2004, Abdolmaleky
et al. 2005, Grayson et al. 2005). Therefore, these data provide a mechanistic
rationale for our hypothesis that HDAC inhibitors and DNMT inhibitors used either
individually or in combination may represent a novel pharmacological approach for
correcting reelin and GAD67 mRNA levels, and the GABAergic deficits associated
with SZ (Guidotti et al. 2005; Levenson 2007).
A recent study examined alterations in GABA-related mRNAs in the PFC of
subjects with SZ (Hashimoto et al. 2008). Reduced mRNA levels corresponding to
presynaptic regulators of GABA function, numerous neuropeptides, and GABA-A
receptor subunits were detected. In addition, studies show that the downregulation of
NMDA receptors in GABA neurons could be the consequence of a primary epigenetic defect (Belforte et al. 2010). These data are consistent with the GABA deficit
hypothesis proposed by us (Guidotti et al. 2005) and others (Lewis et al. 2005;
37
Benes et al. 2007). Additional work will identify which mRNAs are activated by
various HDACs, in which brain regions and in which neurons. As the collection of
these compounds increases, it should not be too long before researchers are able to
design these drugs to target subclasses of HDACs showing selective expression
patterns in the desired brain regions (Broide et al. 2007).
Preliminary data in rodents support the notion that MS-275 crosses the blood–
brain barrier and increases histone acetylation in the frontal cortex of treated
animals (Simonini et al. 2006). However, a recent pharmacokinetic study using
positron emission tomography (PET) showed that MS-275 exhibits poor brain
penetration (Hooker et al. 2010). So while the levels of MS-275 that cross into
the brain may be sufficient for some assays, this issue needs additional clarification
in terms of new drug design. Increasing attention is being paid to various HDAC
inhibitors in the context of therapeutic intervention for certain cancers. It seems
prudent that a similar approach may prove beneficial in reactivating genes that are
downregulated as a consequence of promoter hypermethylation, as we have suggested occurs in SZ (Grayson et al. 2010). For example, in addition to reelin and
GAD67, the promoter corresponding to the NMDA receptor subunit 2A is embedded in a CpG island and is downregulated in the postmortem cortex of SZ subjects
(Woo et al. 2005, 2008). Interestingly, this reduced expression is in parvalbuminexpressing neurons of the cortex that also contain GAD67 and reelin (Noh et al.
2005). Clearly, the glutamatergic input onto cortical GABA interneurons plays a
key role in determining synaptic GABA release onto efferent pyramidal neurons.
This suggests that the two major conceptual schools that characterize the dysfunctional neural circuits that define SZ may contribute to an integrated hypothesis. That
is, glutamatergic hypofunction and GABAergic hypofunction are linked provided
they function at the level of the same cortical GABA neurons. Thus, it is possible
that drugs acting at the level of chromatin remodeling could induce each of the
mRNAs downregulated in SZ, thereby correcting the GABA neuron deficits. As
such, by increasing the GABA interneuron content of GAD67, reelin, and NMDA
receptor subunits, relevant neurons may more appropriately respond to uncompromised afferent NMDA receptor stimulation by releasing more GABA.
Acknowledgments We would like to dedicate this work to the memory of our friend and
colleague, Dr. Erminio Costa, University of Illinois at Chicago, who died November 28, 2009.
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Chapter 3
Possible Roles of DNA Methylation
in Bipolar Disorder
Tadafumi Kato
Abstract Although the role of DNA sequence-based factors is implicated in bipolar
disorder (BPD), traditional genetic approaches have not been very productive in the
identification of causative genes. As a result, other approaches, such as epigenetics,
should also be considered in the search for the molecular basis of BPD. Genomic
imprinting has been suggested to play a role in disease development, as the risk of BPD
acquisition in the offspring partially depends on the sex of the disease-transmitting
parent. In addition, higher parental age is associated with an increased risk of BPD in
the offspring, which suggests that age-dependent alteration of DNA methylation
might be involved in the etiopathogenesis of the condition. Molecular effects of
drugs also support the role of epigenetics; valproate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor,
is effective in the treatment of mania. Consistent with the epigenetic theory of
psychiatric disease, studies of monozygotic twins discordant for BPD revealed the
DNA methylation differences between siblings. Additional studies support that DNA
methylation patterns at certain genes are altered in the brain tissues of bipolar disease
patients. Collectively, these findings suggest that the epigenetic studies may improve
our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of BPD.
Keywords Bipolar disorder Epigenetics Monozygotic twins
3.1
Introduction
Bipolar disorder (BPD) is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression, affecting around 1% of the population and causing severe psychosocial
dysfunction. Mounting evidence, especially from twin studies, suggests that genetic
T. Kato
Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Brain Science Institute,
Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
e-mail: kato@brain.riken.jp
41
42
T. Kato
factors contribute to this disorder. Classical studies that focused on the identification of DNA sequence-based factors have yielded inconsistent results. More
recently, genome-wide association studies were performed in a large number of
BPD patients and controls, and several promising candidate genes such as ANK3
(ankyrin G) and CACNA1C (L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel, alpha 1C
subunit) (Ferreira et al. 2008) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) at
3p21.1 were suggested (McMahon et al. 2010); however, the odds ratios of these
SNPs were less than 1.5, suggesting only a modest contribution to the etiology of
BPD. In addition to common DNA polymorphisms, the role of rare variations is
gaining attention, for example, rare variants of ABCA13 [ATP-binding cassette
(ABC) transporter] have been suggested to confer a risk of BPD and schizophrenia
(Knight et al. 2009). Progress in next generation sequencing will soon enable whole
genome – or at least the exome – sequencing in a large group of patients and
controls. Such innovation will accelerate the search for rare mutations related to the
disease, but it is not known such studies will fully explain the molecular basis of
BPD. Epigenetic studies may shed a new light on the origin of BPD and other
psychiatric diseases and significantly advance our understanding of the molecular
basis of BPD, schizophrenia, autism, among numerous other brain diseases. Petronis (2003) has suggested that epigenetics may play a role in BPD based on the nonMendelian features of this disease, such as discordance in monozygotic (MZ) twins,
the critical age for susceptibility to the disease, clinical differences in males and
females, and major fluctuations of the disease course. A number of epigenetic
mechanisms may be involved in BPD, including partial epigenetic instability in
somatic cells and epigenetic divergence in monozygotic twins, parental origindependent epigenetic regulation (genomic imprinting), skewed X-chromosome
inactivation, inherited and acquired epigenetic misregulation of genes expressed
in the brain, and several others. Some of the epigenetic studies in BPD are discussed
below, and a summary is provided in Table 3.1.
3.2
3.2.1
Epigenetic Studies of BPD
Monozygotic Twins
Kuratomi et al. (2008) searched for DNA methylation differences between two MZ
twins discordant for BPD using methylation-sensitive representational difference
analysis. Bisulfite sequencing analysis confirmed that DNA methylation was
altered in four genes, which became the focus of further investigation. Among the
four genes, SMS (spermine synthase) showed epigenetic differences in female
subjects in a case-control study, but the direction of the change was contrary to
the finding in the twins (Kuratomi et al. 2008). The gene for peptidylprolyl
isomerase E-like (PPIEL) showed DNA methylation differences consistent both
in the twins discordant for BPD and unrelated individuals affected with BP II
3 Possible Roles of DNA Methylation in Bipolar Disorder
Table 3.1 Main findings of DNA methylation studies in BPD
First author
Tissue
Experimental technique
(year)
Dempster
Brain (cerebellum)
Bisulfite modification and
et al.
(15 BPD, 15 controls,
pyrosequencing
(2006)
15 SZ, 15 MDD)
Methylation specific PCR
Abdolmaleky Brain (frontal lobe)
(35 BPD, 35 þ 5
et al.
controls, 35 þ 5 SZ)
(2006)
Methylation-sensitive
Tamura et al. Brain (forebrain)
restriction enzymes and
(2007)
real-time PCR
35 SZ)
43
Findings
No methylation
difference of soluble
isoform of COMT
MB-COMT
is hypomethylated in
BPD
Lack of correlation
between the levels of
DNA methylation in
RELN and age in
BPD
PPIEL is differentially
Lymphoblastoid cells
MS-RDA, bisulfite
Kuratomi
methylated in MZ
(1 discordant MZ
sequencing,
et al.
twins discordant for
twin pair, 16 BPI,
pyrosequencing
(2008)
BPD. PPIEL is
7 þ 14 BPII, 18
hypomethylated in
controls)
BP II disorder
Discordant female BPD
Rosa et al.
Blood and buccal swabs Methylation-sensitive
twins showed greater
restriction enzymes and
(2008)
(63 female MZ twin
methylation
(nonquantitative) PCR
pairs)
differences between
two X-chromosomes
than concordant twin
pairs
DNA methylation was
Epigenomic profiling by
Mill et al.
Brain (frontal cortex)
altered in a number
DNA microarray,
(2008)
of genes, but all were
bisulfite modification,
35 SZ). Sperm (20
sex specific. No
pyrosequencing
BPD, 20 controls)
DNA methylation
changes in the sperm
of BPD patients
Cytosine-extension assay
Leukocyte global DNA
Bromberg
Peripheral blood
methylation did not
(2009)
leukocytes (49 BPD,
differ between BPD
27 controls)
and controls
COMT the gene for catechol-O-methyltransferase, MB-COMT the gene for membrane-boundCOMT, MS-RDA methylation sensitive representational difference analysis, SZ schizophrenia,
BPD bipolar disorder, BP I disorder bipolar I disorder, BP II disorder bipolar II disorder, MDD
major depressive disorder, MZ monozygotic twins
disorder compared with controls. In the human brain, PPIEL is highly expressed in
the pituitary gland and the substantia nigra. In another twin study, X-chromosome
inactivation patterns were investigated in DNA samples from blood and/or buccal
epithelial cells in a sample of 63 female MZ twin pairs concordant or discordant for
BD or schizophrenia, as well as healthy MZ controls (Rosa et al. 2008). Female
twins discordant for BPD showed greater DNA methylation differences in both
maternal and paternal X alleles than the concordant twin pairs, which suggests that
44
T. Kato
differential skewing of X-chromosome inactivation may contribute to BPD in
females and the potential involvement of X-linked loci in the disorder.
3.2.2
Parental Origin Effects and Genomic Imprinting
Decades ago, it was noted that father-to-son transmission of BPD is a rare event
(Winokur and Tanna 1969), and initially, this was interpreted as X-linked inheritance. McMahon and colleagues (1995) provided a new interpretation for the parental
origin effects in BPD, suggesting that the disease may be transmitted by genomically
imprinted genes or that transmission was related to maternal effects due to mitochondrial DNA. In the case of genomic imprinting, only one of the two inherited
alleles (maternal or paternal) is expressed, while the other allele is suppressed by
DNA methylation and other epigenetic mechanisms. Consequently, diseases
induced by mutations in imprinted genes follow a complex inheritance pattern.
Although a mutant allele is transmitted from a parent, the offspring will not express
the disease if the mutated gene is imprinted (Kato et al. 1996). Linkage analysis
can be performed by considering the parent-of-origin of segregating DNA markers,
and several earlier studies showed that BPD is linked to chromosome 18 only when
the parent-of-origin effect was considered (Gershon et al. 1996). To date, the parentof-origin effect has been utilized several times in linkage analyses of BPD; however,
detection of imprinted BPD genes is a challenging task. Recent studies of parental
origin-dependent differences in gene expression in the brain demonstrated that
genomic imprinting is a common and far more complex phenomenon than the
“on–off” type regulation of a small group of classical imprinted genes (Gregg
et al. 2010). The latter study showed that most of the imprinted genes exhibit quantitative rather than qualitative differences in expression of maternal and paternal
alleles. In addition, parental origin effects are highly variable across different brain
regions and dependent on the developmental stage (Gregg et al. 2010).
3.2.3
Postmortem Brain Studies
Studies of DNA methylation in postmortem brain samples from BPD patients and
controls showed differences in several candidate genes, such as COMT (catecholO-methyltransferase) (Abdolmaleky et al. 2006, Dempster et al. 2006) and Reelin
(Tamura et al. 2007), but it remains unknown if these changes are causal to BPD or
if they were induced by compensatory brain mechanisms, treatment, or some
other disease-related factors. Thus far, only one study performed a comprehensive
microarray-based search for DNA methylation differences in the postmortem
brains from BPD and schizophrenia patients (N ¼ 105, brain samples from the
Stanley Medical Research Foundation) (Mill et al. 2008). In this study, the enriched
45
unmethylated genomes were interrogated on 12K CpG island microarrays, which
revealed DNA methylation differences in many genes with both brain- and nonspecific functions. Aberrant DNA methylation was detected in the genes involved in
glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission pathways, as well as in genes
related to brain development in both BPD and schizophrenia females. Epigenetic
differences were also observed at loci involved in stress response in male BPD
patients. In addition to the locus- and gene-specific comparisons, the network
analysis revealed a lower degree of DNA methylation modularity in the germline
of male BPD patients (0.33) compared with the unaffected controls (0.47), which
suggests that epigenetic dysfunction in BPD may involve a large group of genes and
even whole nuclear compartments.
3.2.4
Miscellaneous Findings Relevant to the Epigenetic
Hypothesis in BPD
Another possible epigenetic mechanism of BPD involves abnormal DNA methylation that impairs the suppression of retroelements, such as long interspersed nuclear
elements (LINEs) (Kan et al. 2004). LINE1 is a repetitive sequence in the mammalian genome with more than 500,000 copies, and this sequence comprises about 17%
of the human genome. Full length LINE1 is about 6 kb long, containing open reading
frames encoding an RNA-binding protein and a protein with endonuclease and
reverse-transcriptase activities that enables LINE elements to transpose (Cordaux
and Batzer 2009). Studying human postmortem brains, Coufal and colleagues
(2009) recently reported that LINE1 can transpose in human neural progenitor
cells, and that CpG sites at the 50 untranslated region of LINE1 showed lower
DNA methylation in fetal brain samples compared with skin samples. Since DNA
methylation is thought to be one of the mechanisms that inactivate retrotransposons,
deficiencies in LINE1 methylation in the brain may lead to increased de novo
retrotransposition and, therefore, disruption of coding DNA sequences.
Higher paternal and maternal ages at conception were detected in the recent BPD
studies (Menezes et al. 2010). Among several other interpretations, the effects of
parental age may be explained by age-related epigenetic changes in the germline
(Flanagan et al. 2006). Age-dependent aberrations in DNA methylation may be one
of the risk factors for major psychiatric disease in the offspring (Perrin et al. 2007).
The role of DNA methylation in BPD is further supported by the fact that some
drugs used to effectively treat this condition are epigenetic modifiers. Valproate, a
mood stabilizer, acts in many ways to alleviate symptoms of BPD; in addition to
numerous other effects, valproate inhibits class I histone deacetylases (HDAC)
(Phiel et al. 2001) and alters DNA methylation through histone acetylation (Detich
et al. 2003). Furthermore, S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), a methyl donor in the
methylation of various targets, including DNA (Rydberg and Lindahl 1982), was
shown to facilitate the switch from depression to elevated mood state in an open
46
T. Kato
trial of intravenous and oral SAM (Carney et al. 1989), which also argues for the
involvement of epigenetic factors in mood regulation.
3.3
Future Directions
The study of putative epigenetic misregulation in BPD has only just begun. Some
findings provide potentially important insight into the etiology of BPD, but further
studies will be required to elucidate the possible role of DNA methylation. Development of microarrays specifically dedicated to DNA methylation mapping is of
significant value in the whole DNA methylome studies (Feinberg 2010). Furthermore, genome-wide DNA methylation analysis at the single base-pair level is
now possible using next-generation sequencing technology (Lister et al. 2009).
In addition to the methylation at CpG sites, non-CpG sites have also been reported
to be methylated in embryonic stem cells (Lister et al. 2009). The role of such nonCpG methylation in neural stem cells is currently unknown and requires further
investigation.
Several new phenomena have recently been reported, and may prove relevant to
BPD. In addition to the methylated cytosine (the fifth base pair), the sixth base pair,
hydroxymethylcytosine was found to be enriched in the brain (Kriaucionis and
Heintz 2009). Though the functional relevance of hydroxymethylcytosine is not
known, it would be of great interest to study its role in the postmortem brain of
patients affected with BPD. By considering an additional regulatory mechanism in
the brain, the etiology of BPD and other diseases could potentially become more
apparent.
Epigenetics is a rapidly growing, cutting-edge area of molecular biology. We
hope that epigenetic strategies and approaches will help to uncover the inherited
and acquired basis of BPD.
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Lister R, Pelizzola M, Dowen RH et al (2009) Human DNA methylomes at base resolution show
widespread epigenomic differences. Nature 462:315–322
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affective disorder. Am J Hum Genet 56:1277–1286
McMahon FJ, Akula N, Schulze TG et al (2010) Meta-analysis of genome-wide association data
identifies a risk locus for major mood disorders on 3p21.1. Nat Genet 42:128–131
Menezes PR, Lewis G, Rasmussen F et al (2010) Paternal and maternal ages at conception and risk
of bipolar affective disorder in their offspring. Psychol Med 40:477–485
Mill J, Tang T, Kaminsky Z et al (2008) Epigenomic profiling reveals DNA-methylation changes
associated with major psychosis. Am J Hum Genet 82:696–711
Perrin MC, Brown AS, Malaspina D (2007) Aberrant epigenetic regulation could explain the
relationship of paternal age to schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 33:1270–1273
Petronis A (2003) Epigenetics and bipolar disorder: new opportunities and challenges. Am J Med
Genet C Semin Med Genet 123C:65–75
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a potent anticonvulsant, mood stabilizer, and teratogen. J Biol Chem 276:36734–36741
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possible source of discordance for bipolar disorder female monozygotic twins. Am J Med
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disease. Dis Nerv Syst 30:89–94
.
Chapter 4
The Epigenetics of Depression and Suicide
Benoit Labonté and Gustavo Turecki
Abstract Major depression and suicide, which is its most severe outcome, are
common problems that represent a major burden in our society. The relationship
among early life adversity, depression, and suicide has already been well demonstrated, however, the molecular mechanisms mediating this relationship still remain
poorly understood. From rat studies, we have recently gained major insight into
some of the genomic processes that modify behavior, which result from early social
environmental experiences. These processes, collectively referred to as epigenetics,
are defined by chemical modifications taking place around the DNA molecule that
alter the coding capacity of a gene. Accordingly, this is believed to represent an
interface through which the environment can act upon our genome to modify gene
expression and behavior. As such, epigenetic alterations induced by environmental
factors, such as early life adversity and social stress, are found in the brain of
humans and rats. In this chapter, we review the evidence in favor of epigenetic
factors playing a role in depression and suicide. Animal and human postmortem
studies reporting epigenetic alterations in the brain following environmental insults
are discussed to generate a global scheme of epigenetic modifications, which
are believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of depressive disorders and
suicidality.
Keywords Depression DNA methylation Early-life adversity Environment Epigenetics Histone modifications Suicide
B. Labonté
McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
G. Turecki (*)
McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
and
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Douglas Hospital 6875 Lasalle
Blvd, Montreal, QC H3H1R3, Canada
e-mail: gustavo.turecki@mcgill.ca
49
50
4.1
B. Labonté and G. Turecki
The Burden of Depression and Suicide
Mood disorders, also known as affective disorders, are common conditions characterized by mood dysregulation and neurovegetative dysfunction (Akiskal 1995).
Major depressive disorder (MDD), commonly referred to as major depression,
may or may not be recurrent and represents one of the most important and
common types of mood disorder. One-year prevalence estimates for MDD range
between 6.4 and 10.1% (Robins and Price 1991; Regier et al. 1988; Weissman
et al. 1982; Kessler et al. 2005a, b). Consequently, MDD ranks first among the
most significant causes of disability and premature death, and as such, imposes a
continual economic burden on society. For example, in the USA, the direct and
indirect costs are estimated at $44 billion/year (Lopez and Murray 1998). The
greatest loss to our society, however, is the associated mortality of MDD related to
suicide. Between 50 and 70% of suicide completers die during an episode of MDD
(Arsenault-Lapierre et al. 2004; Cavanagh et al. 2003), and prospective follow-up
studies of MDD suggest that between 7 and 15% of these patients will die by
suicide (Angst et al. 1992, 1999, 2002; Blair-West et al. 1999).
4.2
Early Life Adversity, Major Depression, and Suicide Risk
MDD and suicide are complex phenomena believed to result from the interaction
of several factors. These include neurobiological (Mann 2003; Ernst et al. 2009a)
and genetic factors (Brezo et al. 2008a), which increase individual predisposition
to depression and suicide; psychological and personality traits such as impulsivity
and negative affect (McGirr and Turecki 2007; Yen et al. 2009); demographic
variables (Kwok and Shek 2008); and early life adversity (Brezo et al. 2008b;
Fergusson et al. 2008).
Among risk factors, childhood abuse [sexual (CSA), physical (CPA)] and
parental neglect are among the strongest predictors of depressive disorders (Molnar
et al. 2001; Arnow 2004) and suicide (Evans et al. 2005; Santa Mina and Gallop
1998). In particular, CSA is associated with earlier age of onset of depression,
chronic course, and more severe depressive outcome (Gladstone et al. 2004;
Dinwiddie et al. 2000; Jaffee et al. 2002). Moreover, history of CSA increases the
odds of suicidal behavior up to 12 times (Molnar et al. 2001; Bensley et al. 1999).
Although less consistently, CPA and neglect in childhood are also found to modify
the risk for depression onset, course, severity, and associated suicidality (Evans
et al. 2005; Widom et al. 2007; Ystgaard et al. 2004). The detrimental long-term
consequences of childhood adversity extend beyond MDD and suicidality. In
addition to being associated with these phenotypes, childhood abuse has also
been found to influence the risk of other psychiatric conditions and to predict
increased comorbidity (Gladstone et al. 2004; Mullen et al. 1993, 1996; Jumper
1995). While personality traits and psychological adjustment difficulties may be
4 The Epigenetics of Depression and Suicide
51
possible mediators (Johnson et al. 1999a, b; Finkelhor and Browne 1985), there is
a clear major predictor effect between history of early life adversity, MDD,
and suicidality, which is independent of family psychopathological background
(Nelson et al. 2002).
4.3
Early Life Adversity and Negative Mental Health
Outcomes: Molecular Mechanisms
As discussed above, the relationship between childhood adversity, major depression, and suicide is supported by substantial theoretical and empirical work. It is
generally assumed that adversity during childhood impacts proper psychological
development and induces maladaptive patterns of behavioral responses, which, in
turn, are associated with pervasive interpersonal difficulties, enhanced reactivity
to stress, and an increased risk of psychopathology. However, the molecular
mechanisms that account for these relationships are poorly understood. The critical
question is: “How do events occurring in childhood influence the risk of becoming
depressed and dying by suicide many years later?” or alternatively stated: “What
long-lasting molecular mechanisms take place as a result of the adverse life
experience that could be associated with increased risk for depression and suicide?”
Recently, there has been growing evidence suggesting that the genome may
respond to other types of environmental stimuli, beyond those of a chemical and
physical nature, through epigenetic processes. Accordingly, there is mounting
evidence suggesting that our genome responds to the social environment as much
as it does to the physical environment, and that the basic molecular mechanism of
this response is through epigenetic modifications (see Tables 4.1 and 4.2). As such,
it is possible to hypothesize that epigenetic mechanisms may account, at least in
part, for the regulation of behavior as a response to environmental adversity.
Epigenetics refers to the regulation of gene expression via DNA methylation
(Klose and Bird 2006), histone modifications (Kouzarides 2007), and more
recently, posttranscriptional mechanisms such as microRNA (Schratt 2009a, b).
Generally, it has been suggested that DNA methylation directs transcriptional
repression (Klose and Bird 2006). At the chromatin level, high histone acetylation
and some types of histone methylation have been associated with active transcription (Kouzarides 2007). With increasing amounts of evidence suggesting that
epigenetic mechanisms may be involved in the modification of gene expression
induced by environmental factors, epigenetics is now believed to be one of the
molecular processes induced as a response to environmental challenges. In this
sense, epigenetics may be conceptualized as the means by which our cells adapt to
particular cellular and environmental conditions.
Despite the complexity and the heterogeneity of depressive disorders, common
functional and physiological alterations have been consistently reported in the
brain of depressed and suicide subjects. For instance, stress regulatory systems
52
Table 4.1 Summary of published studies assessing epigenetic components in the animal’s brain
following environmental insults
Studies
Brain regions
Genes
Findings
Weaver et al.
Hippocampus
GR
" Methylation in NGFI-A binding site
(2004)
within GR promoter in the
hippocampus of low LG/ABN pups
Cross-fostering reinstated normal
methylation levels
# H3K9 acetylation levels in low LG/
ABN pups
TSA treatment reinstated promoter
methylation, H3K9 acetylation,
NGFI-A binding and GR17
expression
AVP
" AVP expression correlated with
Hypothalamus
Murgatroyd
hypomethylation at five sites within
[paraventricular
et al.
AVP enhancer following early life
nucleus (PVN)]
(2009)
maternal separation in 6 weeks, 3
months, and 1 year mice
# MeCP2 binding to AVP enhancer
associated with higher AVP
expression in 10 days old stress mice
Tsankova
Hippocampus
BDNF
# Expression of BDNF transcripts (III and
et al.
IV) following chronic social stress in
(2006)
mice
No effect of promoter methylation on
BDNF expression
" H3K27 methylation in the promoter
region of transcripts III and IV
# HDAC5 levels associated with " H3
acetylation and " H3K4 methylation
in the promoter of transcripts III and
IV following imipramine treatment in
chronically stressed mice
Roth et al.
PFC
BDNF
# Expression of BDNF transcripts (IV
(2009)
and IX) in the PFC of maternally
maltreated rats
" Promoter (III and IX) methylation in
the PFC of maternally maltreated rats
[hypothalamic-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, polyamines], cell signaling molecules
[ribosomal RNA (rRNA)], brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophic
tyrosine kinase receptor (trkB), quaking (QKI) and neurotransmitters [gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA)], and reelin and serotonin (5-HT) have all been suggested to be involved in depression and suicide. Indeed, altered expression of genes
and proteins involved in the regulation of these systems has been reported in the
brains of depressed and suicide subjects, and similar alterations have also been
reported in the brains of animal models. With the growing interest in epigenetics,
numerous studies suggest that these alterations could be due to epigenetic
modifications. The following sections will review these findings.
53
Table 4.2 Summary of published studies assessing epigenetic components in postmortem brains
of suicide completers
Studies
Brain regions
Genes
Findings
McGowan et al.
Hippocampus
GR
" Methylation in NGFI-A binding
(2009)
site within GR promoter in the
hippocampus of suicide
completers with history of
abuse
# Expression of GR in the
abuse
McGowan et al.
Hippocampus
rRNA
Overall hypermethylation of
(2008)
rRNA promoter in the
abuse
# Expression of rRNA gene in the
abuse
Ernst et al.
Frontal cortex
TrkB-T1
" Methylation in two sites within
(2009b)
the promoter of TrkB-T1 in the
frontal cortex of suicide
completers
# Expression of TrkB-T1 in the
completers
Ernst et al.
Frontal cortex
TrkB-T1
" H3K27 methylation in the
(2009c)
completers
Negative correlation between
H3K27 methylation levels and
TrkB-T1 expression in the
completers
FPC: # Expression of DNMT1
Poulter et al.
Frontopolar cortex GABAA a1
DNMT1
mRNA in suicide completers
(2008)
(FPC)
DNMT3a
" Expression of DNMT3b mRNA
Hippocampus
DNMT3b
and protein levels in suicide
Amygdala
completers
Brain stem
" Methylation at two sites in the
promoter region of GABAA
receptor subunit a1 in suicide
completers
Limbic system: # Expression of
DNMT1 and DNMT3b mRNA
levels in suicide completers
Brain stem: # Expression of
DNMT3b mRNA in suicide
completers
Grayson et al.
Occipital cortex
Reelin, GAD67
" Methylation in CREB binding
(2005)
sites within reelin promoter in
the occipital cortex of
schizophrenia subjects
(continued)
54
Studies
Brain regions
Tamura et al.
Forebrain
(2007)
Genes
Reelin
Fiori and Turecki
(2010)
PFC
SMOX, SMS
Fiori and Turecki
(unpublished)
PFC
SAT1
De Luca et al.
(2009)
PFC
5-HT2A
Klempan et al.
(2009b)
Frontal cortex
QKI
4.4
4.4.1
Findings
" Methylation at three sites within
reelin promoter in the
forebrain of schizophrenia
subjects
# Expression of reelin mRNA in
the forebrain of schizophrenia
subjects
No effects of promoter’s
methylation in SMOX and
SMS on expression levels
Negative correlation between
promoter’s methylation levels
and expression of SAT1
# Methylation in the promoter
region of 5-HT2A receptor
associated with a C-allele
(trend) in the PFC of suicide
completers
" Methylation in the promoter
region of 5-HT2A receptor
associated with a C-allele in
leukocytes of suicide
attempters
No difference in methylation
pattern between suicide
completers and controls
Stress Regulatory Systems
Hypothalamic-Pituitary–Adrenal Axis
The HPA axis is the stress regulatory system (Pariante and Lightman 2008). When
facing stressors, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and vasopressin (AVP) are
released from the hypothalamus. CRF and AVP induce the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) from the pituitary
gland into the blood, which reach the adrenal cortex and stimulate release of
glucocorticoids – cortisol in humans and corticosterone in rodents. Glucocorticoids
then act at each level of the HPA axis to regulate the stress response by decreasing
the release of CRF, AVP, POMC, and ACTH. The locus of regulation of the HPA
axis lies in the hippocampus, where glucocorticoids bind glucocorticoid receptors
(GR) and induce an inhibitory feedback on the activation of the HPA axis to return
the activity of the stress response back to basal levels.
Hyperactivity of the HPA axis is a common feature in depressed patients and
childhood abuse victims. High levels of salivary, plasma, and urine glucocorticoids
have been reported in depressed patients (Nemeroff and Vale 2005). Similarly,
55
higher ACTH and cortisol levels have been reported in victims of childhood abuse
following stress and dexamethasone (DEX) challenges (Heim et al. 2000, 2008).
HPA axis hyperactivity is thought to be related to attenuated feedback inhibition
that is normally induced by endogenous glucocorticoids at the different levels of the
HPA axis. In the hippocampus, this is, in part, due to the binding of glucocorticoids
to their receptor. Accordingly, rat pups raised by low licking and grooming (LG)
mothers have altered the HPA axis negative feedback (Liu et al. 1997), coinciding
with lower glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA hippocampal levels (Liu et al.
1997), and exhibit depressive-like behavior during adulthood (Francis et al. 1999).
Similarly, suicide completers with a history of childhood abuse have lower GR
levels in the hippocampus (McGowan et al. 2009). Consequently, reduced levels of
GR in the hippocampus of depressed patients and abuse victims could be responsible
for the blunted and maladaptive responses to stress in those patients.
The GR gene is preceded by 14 noncoding exons in humans and by 10 in rats
(Turner and Muller 2005; McCormick et al. 2000). These noncoding exons possess
multiple transcription factor binding sites and exhibit highly variable methylation
patterns (Turner et al. 2008), suggesting that they might be involved in the regulation
of GR expression in different tissues. The noncoding exon 1F and its rat homologue
17 are specific to the hippocampus (Turner and Muller 2005) and possess a number
of canonical and noncanonical binding sites for the neural growth factor inducible A
(NGFI-A) transcription factor, which is expected to play a major role in GR
hippocampal expression (Meaney 2001). Accordingly, it was hypothesized that
promoter hypermethylation could be responsible for the down-regulation of GR in
the hippocampus of rats raised by low LG/ABN mothers and in suicide completers
with a history of abuse. As a matter of fact, DNA methylation in GR17 in rats and 1F
in human promoters was shown to be elevated in both pups raised by low LG/ABN
mothers (Weaver et al. 2004) and abused suicide completers (McGowan et al. 2009).
Importantly, hypermethylation was found mainly within the NFGI-A-binding sites,
suggesting that it could repress the binding of this transcription factor to its cognate
DNA sequence and decrease the transcription of this gene. Indeed, NGFI-A was
shown to significantly increase the transcriptional activity of GR1F promoter, while
artificial methylation at its binding site decreases this activity, even in the presence
of NGFI-A (McGowan et al. 2009).
NGFI-A has been previously shown to recruit the histone acetylase CREBbinding protein, CBP (Weaver et al. 2007). Hypermethylation within the NGFIA-binding site could repress both the NGFI-A binding and the recruitment of CBP
to the promoter of GR. This is supported by the fact that lower H3K9 acetylation
and NGFI-A levels in the GR 17 promoter region were found in low LG/ABN pups
(Weaver et al. 2004). Interestingly, cross-fostering pups from low LG/ABN
mothers to high LG/ABN mothers during the first week of life was sufficient to
reinstate basal methylation values, suggesting that these modifications can be
reversed. Moreover, pharmacological challenge with the histone deacetylase inhibitor TSA raised H3K9 acetylation levels, restored methylation levels, increased
NGFI-A binding in GR 17 promoter, and returned GR expression to basal levels in
the hippocampus. It is also noteworthy that the treated rats were less reactive to
stressful conditions.
56
Early life stress also affects other components of the HPA axis. Recently, it has
been shown that earlylife infant–maternal separation in mice induces a long-lasting
increase in corticosterone secretion accompanied by increased expression of POMC
and AVP in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. These physiological modifications were also associated with stress-coping behavioral alterations
(Murgatroyd et al. 2009). The AVP gene in mice is composed of three coding exons
located on chromosome 20 at locus 20p13. Four CpG islands have been identified
throughout the gene, one of which is found in the intergenic region separating the
neighboring tail-to-tail-oriented Avp and oxytocin genes, and is known to include
an enhancer region in the first 2.1 kb proximal to the Avp gene, which is important
for Avp expression (Gainer et al. 2001).
The regulation of Avp expression in stressed mice has recently been shown to
involve a dual epigenetic mechanism (Murgatroyd et al. 2009). Hypomethylation at
50 sites within the enhancer was strongly correlated with higher Avp mRNA
expression in 6-week- to 1-year-old stressed mice compared with controls. In this
sense, treatment with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine decreased methylation
levels and increased Avp expression in cell lines; the deletion of the enhancer
almost completely abolished transcriptional activity in reporter assays. These
observations are consistent with the repressive role of DNA methylation on transcriptional activity; however, no methylation difference was observed at 10 days.
Interestingly, these sites were shown to be putative binding sites for the methylated
CpG-binding protein, MeCP2, and, despite the repressive role of MeCP2 on
transcription, increased expression of Avp was reported. Nevertheless, it has been
previously suggested that neuronal depolarization might trigger Ca2+/calmodulindependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation of MeCP2, causing its
dissociation from putative targets (Chen et al. 2003; Zhou et al. 2006). In fact,
higher CaMKII immunoreactivity and phosphorylated MeCP2 levels were found in
Avp-expressing neurons in the PVN of 10-day-old stressed mice, suggesting that
activity-induced phosphorylation of MeCP2 decreases its binding to the Avp
enhancer and increases the expression of Avp. This effect can be mimicked by a
site-specific hypomethylation in the enhancer of Avp induced by early life stress,
which could be responsible for the long-lasting increased Avp expression in the
PVN of those mice. These results suggest that alterations in DNA methylation
found outside of the promoter might also be involved in physiological and behavioral modifications induced by environmental factors.
4.4.2
Polyamine System
The polyamines are important ubiquitous aliphatic molecules known to be involved
in cellular function, including growth, division, and signaling cascades (Gilad and
Gilad 2003; Minguet et al. 2008); but also in stress responses, both at the cellular
and behavioral level (Rhee et al. 2007; Fiori and Turecki 2008). These polyamines
include putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and agmatine (Moinard et al. 2005). Moreover,
57
polyamine-associated molecules, including the polyamine oxidase (PAO), spermine
synthase (SMS), spermidine/spermine N-acetyltransferases (SAT1,2), ornithine
decarboxylase (ODC), and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), are also involved in
the polyamine system.
Many lines of evidence suggest that the polyamine system might be involved in
MDD and suicide. For example, chronic unpredictable stress in rats decreases the
expression of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in the hippocampus (Genedani
et al. 2001). Agmatine and putrescine have also been shown to induce antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in rodents through a mechanism thought to involve
NMDA receptors (Zomkowski et al. 2002, 2006; Gong et al. 2006). In humans,
agmatine and PAO levels were shown to be increased in the plasma and serum of
depressed patients and were normalized following chronic bupropion and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment (Dahel et al. 2001; Halaris et al. 1999). Moreover, the expression of SMS, SAT1 and -2, and OAT has been shown to be altered
in the limbic system of suicide completers with a history of depressive disorders
(Sequeira et al. 2006, 2007). It is interesting to note that the polyamine system is
also reactive to stressors (Gilad and Gilad 2003) – acute stressors have been shown
to increase ODC activity and putrescine and agmatine levels in the brain of rodents,
while chronic stress increases ODC activity and putrescine, spermine, and spermidine levels (Gilad and Gilad 2003; Aricioglu et al. 2003). Furthermore, the emergence of the characteristic adult polyamine stress response is correlated with the
cessation of the hyporesponsive period of the HPA axis system (Gilad et al. 1998).
Given the alterations in the polyamine gene expression reported in the brains of
suicide completers with a history of depression, the methylation patterns of particular polyamine genes were recently assessed. Promoter methylation was found to
be negatively correlated with the expression of SAT1 (Fiori et al. unpublished
results), although not with the gene for spermine oxidase (SMOX) and SMS (Fiori
and Turecki 2010). Moreover, no association was found between H3K27me3
modification in the promoter region of SMS and SMOX and suicide completion
or expression of these genes in BA 8/9. These findings suggest that epigenetic
alterations in the promoter region of genes involved in the polyamine synthesis do
not play a major role in suicidal behavior, although they may partly explain why
polyamine gene expression is decreased in the brain of suicide completers.
4.5
4.5.1
Cell Signaling
Ribosomal RNA
The rRNA is the principal component of the ribosome. Its role is to decode the
mRNA into amino acids and to provide enzymatic activity allowing the right amino
acid to be added to the synthesized polypeptides. Consequently, rRNA is a bottleneck
structure for protein synthesis, allowing the right proteins to be synthesized depending on the needs of the cell.
58
The rRNA promoter is composed of two regulatory regions, namely the
upstream control element (UCE) and the core promoter that binds the upstream
binding factor (UBF) (Haltiner et al. 1986; Learned et al. 1986; Ghoshal
et al. 2004). The expression of rRNA genes has been shown to be epigenetically
regulated both in mice (Santoro and Grummt 2001) and humans (Ghoshal et al.
2004; Brown and Szyf 2007). In mice, the recruitment of transcription repressors has been suggested to induce chromatin modifications leading to methylation of a single CpG found within UBF-binding sites in the UCE. This is thought
to prevent UBF from binding to its cognate sequence and to decrease rRNA
expression (Santoro and Grummt 2001). In humans, despite the fact that the
CpG density in both promoter regions differ from mice (Ghoshal et al. 2004;
Santoro and Grummt 2001), rRNA expression has nevertheless been shown to
be epigenetically regulated (Brown and Szyf 2007). Indeed, the active portion of
the rRNA promoter associated with Pol I has been shown to be completely
unmethylated, while the inactive portion is almost fully methylated (Brown and
Szyf 2007).
Recently, the epigenetic regulation of rRNA expression was studied in the
hippocampus of suicide completers with a history of childhood abuse (McGowan
et al. 2008). Analysis of the methylation pattern in the rRNA promoter (core
promoter and UCE) revealed hypermethylation on 21 out of 26 CpGs, and was
associated with low rRNA expression in the hippocampus of abused suicide
completers compared with controls. In other words, abused subjects showed increased overall promoter methylation compared with controls, which exhibited
consistently low levels of methylation. From a mechanistic point of view, it
could be hypothesized that promoter hypermethylation represses the interaction
of transcription factors with the DNA sequence and consequently decreases the
transcriptional activity of RNA polymerase.
It should be noted that these epigenetic alterations were restricted to the
hippocampus, since no group difference in rRNA methylation pattern was found
in the cerebellum, a brain region that has not been primarily associated with
MDD or suicide. Moreover, among the abused suicide completers, the assessment of genome-wide methylation levels did not reveal any methylation differences, further suggesting that this epigenetic alteration was specific to the
hippocampus.
4.5.2
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Neurotrophic factors have consistently emerged as candidate molecules in the
neurobiology of suicide. Neurotrophins are involved in neuronal survival and
plasticity, and they are found throughout the brain, including the limbic system,
where emotional behaviors are processed. Their alteration could underlie, at least in
part, changes in plasticity observed in the brains of suicide completers as well as the
59
defective affect observed in depressive patients. While the major neurotrophic
factors include nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin 3 and 4 (NT-3/4),
fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and BDNF, the latter has received most of the
attention concerning the potential implication of neurotrophic factors in MDD
and suicide.
In humans, low serum and brain BDNF mRNA levels were found in patients
with major depression (Brunoni et al. 2008; Dwivedi et al. 2003; Pandey et al.
2008), and in addition, these levels were found to be reversible by antidepressant
treatment (Chen et al. 2001; Sen et al. 2008; Matrisciano et al. 2009). Depressivelike behaviors have also been reported in mice following BDNF depletion (Chan
et al. 2006). In rats, chronic stress and persistent pain have been shown to reduce
BDNF expression in the hippocampus (Gronli et al. 2006; Duric and McCarson
2005), an effect that was counteracted by antidepressant treatment (Duric and
McCarson 2006; Rogoz et al. 2005; Xu et al. 2006).
Recently, the epigenetic state of Bdnf was assessed in mice (Tsankova et al.
2006) and rats (Roth et al. 2009). In both species, the Bdnf gene has been shown to
contain nine 50 noncoding first exons with their own promoter coding for the same
protein (Aid et al. 2007). The alternative splicing of these exons specifies the tissue
in which Bdnf is expressed (Aid et al. 2007). In mice, chronic social stress was
shown to decrease the expression of two specific Bdnf transcripts (III and IV) in the
hippocampus (Tsankova et al. 2006). Similarly, lower Bdnf mRNA expression has
been reported in the PFC of maltreated rats (Roth et al. 2009). Although similar,
these transcriptional alterations were shown to be induced by different epigenetic
mechanisms. In mice, low hippocampal Bdnf levels were related to higher H3K27
methylation levels in the promoter regions transcripts III and IV, while DNA
hypermethylation was found in the promoter of transcripts IV and IX of maltreated
rats. Interestingly, site-specific hypermethylation in maltreated rats was reported for
exon IX immediately after the maltreatment regimen, while exon IV methylation
gradually increased to reach significantly altered levels only at adulthood. These
findings suggest that chronic stress might alter different epigenetic mechanisms
than those altered by maternal maltreatment in rodents: the first leading to the
compaction of chromatin in its heterochromatic state and the second blocking
the binding of transcription factors to DNA both alterations decreasing transcription
of BDNF.
The effect of chronic stress on Bdnf transcription in mice was shown to be
reversed by chronic treatment with the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine, but via
an indirect pathway (Tsankova et al. 2006). Indeed, chronic imipramine treatment
did not reinstate H3K27 basal methylation levels, but rather decreased HDAC5
levels in the hippocampus of chronically stressed mice. This was associated with
higher hippocampal levels of H3 acetylation and H3K4me in the area of Bdnf III
and IV promoters, with both modifications related to transcriptional activation
(Kouzarides 2007). Taken together, these results suggest the existence of a compensatory mechanism in the reinstatement of basal Bdnf levels by chronic imipramine treatment following chronic stress.
60
4.5.3
Tropomyosin-Related Kinase B
Tropomyosin-related kinase B (TRKB) receptor is a transmembrane receptor with
high affinity for BDNF, which has been consistently linked to mood disorders and
suicide (Dwivedi et al. 2003, 2009; Duman and Monteggia 2006; Kim et al. 2007).
For example, microarray studies have reported lower TRKB expression in the PFC
of depressed subjects (Aston et al. 2005; Nakatani et al. 2006), and antidepressant
treatment has been shown to increase its expression in cultured astrocytes (Mercier
et al. 2004).
The TRKB gene is found on chromosome 9 at locus q22.1 and has five splice
variants; splice variant b T1 or TRKB-T1 is an astrocytic truncated form of TRKB
lacking catalytic activity (Rose et al. 2003). Recently, a subset of suicide completers with low levels of TRKB-T1 expression in the PFC were identified (Ernst et al.
2009b). Such a pattern of expression is expected to increase predispositions to
suicidal behaviors.
Analysis of the methylation pattern in the promoter of those low TRKB-T1
expressors revealed two sites where methylation levels were higher in suicide
completers compared with controls. The methylation pattern at those two sites was
negatively correlated with the expression of TRKB-T1 in the low expression subset
of suicide completers. These results were specific to the PFC, since no significant
difference was found in the cerebellum. Moreover, enrichment of H3K27 methylation associated with TRKB-T1 promoter has been reported in the same subjects
(Ernst et al. 2009c). This suggests that the astrocytic variant of TRKB may be under
the control of epigenetic mechanisms involving histone modifications and DNA
methylation, and that these epigenetic changes are involved in suicidal behavior.
These findings also support the involvement of an astrocytic component in suicide.
Further studies will be necessary to identify other genes expressed in astrocytes that
may be altered in suicide.
4.5.4
Quaking
In the brain, quaking (QKI) is expressed specifically in oligodendrocytes and is
thought to be involved in cell development and myelination processes (Ebersole
et al. 1996; Zhao et al. 2006). QKI expression was reported to be decreased in
schizophrenia subjects, independent of neuroleptic treatment (Aberg et al. 2006;
Aston et al. 2004). More recently, its expression was also shown to be reduced in
cortical regions from suicide completers (Klempan et al. 2009a).
QKI gene in human is located on chromosome 6q26 and undergoes extensive
splicing leading to different isoforms, each differing in the 30 region but all exhibiting a common 50 region (Li et al. 2002; Siomi et al. 1993). It has been recently shown
that alterations in methylation were not involved in the decreased cortical expression
of QKI. Indeed, methylation was very low in the promoter region of both suicide
61
completers and controls, which suggests that other mechanisms may be responsible
for the modified expression of QKI in suicide completers (Klempan et al. 2009b). On
the other hand, since the promoter region investigated was relatively small, it
remains possible that other sites within the promoter control the expression of
QKI. It is also possible that the altered expression of this gene is related to posttranslational mechanisms, such as microRNA.
4.6
4.6.1
Neurotransmitters and Their Receptors
GABA
GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain – it is ubiquitous and acts
as a modulator of neuronal activity. It has been frequently suggested that the
GABAergic system is involved in suicide (Brezo et al. 2008a; Mann 1998), for
instance, the expression of numerous GABA receptor subunits has been shown to
be altered in both the PFC, frontopolar cortex (FPC) and limbic system of suicide
and depressed subjects (Sequeira et al. 2007; Klempan et al. 2009a; Merali et al.
2004; Poulter et al. 2008). Decreased expression of GABAA receptor subunits a1,
a3, a4, and d was reported in the FPC of suicide completers compared with controls
(Merali et al. 2004). Moreover, higher density of GABA neurons was reported in
several brain areas, including the hippocampus in MDD suicide subjects vs. controls (Bielau et al. 2007). In contrast, these findings have been challenged by
another group reporting lower density of GABA neurons in the dorsolateral PFC
of MDD suicide subjects compared with controls (Rajkowska et al. 2007).
Lower expression of GABAA receptor subunit a1 in the FPC of suicide completers has been correlated with promoter hypermethylation (Poulter et al. 2008).
Indeed, hypermethylation was reported at two specific CG sites within the promoter
and the transcription start site (TSS) regions in suicide completers compared with
controls. Being responsible for the addition of methyl groups to DNA, it was
hypothesized that aberrant activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) could be
responsible for the increase in methylation reported in the promoter of the GABAA
receptor a1 subunit. Accordingly, a significant negative correlation between
DNMT3b and methylation levels in the promoter of the a1 subunit was reported
in suicide completers (Poulter et al. 2008). Given the role of DNMT3b in de novo
methylation, these findings suggest that DNMT3b could be responsible for the
increased methylation found in the promoter of GABAA receptor subunit a1 in
suicide completers. Moreover, one of the hypermethylated sites is a putative
binding site for CREB (Kang et al. 1994). All together, these findings suggest
that modifications in the epigenetic machinery occurring in suicide brains could
generate alterations in DNA methylation patterns. Consequently, this could block
the binding of transcription factors to regulatory regions and repress the expression
of genes involved in fundamental neuronal processes. This suggests that histone
62
modifications and DNA methylation might be altered in the brain of suicide
completers with schizophrenia, however, it is also possible that such alterations
might be found only in a subpopulation of schizophrenia subjects with a particular
predisposition to commit suicide.
4.6.2
Reelin
Reelin is a protein selectively expressed in GABAergic neurons in the cortex,
hippocampus, and cerebellum (Ikeda and Terashima 1997; Pesold et al. 1998),
with a major role in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory formation (Weeber
et al. 2002; Beffert et al. 2006; D’Arcangelo 2005). In the cortex and hippocampus,
reelin is released from the dendritic spines of glutamatergic neurons and promotes
binding and phosphorylation of NMDA receptors. This results in increased protein
synthesis within dendritic spines and neuronal signaling (Dong et al. 2003).
The reelin gene maps to chromosome 7q21–22, spans through 450 kb and is
composed of 65 exons (Chen et al. 2002). Its promoter region is GC – rich (75%),
expanding from 1,200 bp upstream to about 200 bp downstream of the TSS
(Grayson et al. 2006). A 50% reduction of reelin mRNA (Guidotti et al. 2000)
and an increase in DNMT1 expression (Veldic et al. 2004) were previously reported
in postmortem brains of schizophrenia and patients with bipolar disorder, including
suicide completers. In the occipital cortex, this has been associated with sitespecific hypermethylation in reelin’s promoter (two sites) and in the first exon
following the TSS (one site) (Grayson et al. 2005), both regions with putative
CREB-binding site. Similarly, Tamura et al. (2007) found a significant negative
correlation between reelin expression and methylation level at three different CG
sites in reelin’s promoter.
4.6.3
Serotonin
The serotonergic system has been associated with MDD and suicidality (Brezo et al.
2008a; Mann 1998), with lower concentration, binding, neurotransmission, and
reuptake of serotonin and its metabolites representing risk markers for suicidality
and MDD (Cronholm et al. 1977; Bhagwagar and Cowen 2008). Particular attention
has been given to the 5-HT2A receptor gene as being a major candidate in association
studies of suicidal behavior (Du et al. 2001). The 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism T102C has been extensively studied and the CC genotype has been previously
associated with higher scores in the Hamilton depression scale HAMD (Du et al.
2000), suicidal ideation (Du et al. 2000), and suicidal attempts (Arias et al. 2001),
however, these findings failed to be replicated by other groups (Vaquero-Lorenzo
et al. 2008; Li et al. 2006). The C allele does not alter the amino acid sequence,
63
although it may modify the secondary structure of mRNA (Arranz et al. 1995) and
thus generates less transcriptionally active mRNA than the T allele (Polesskaya and
Sokolov 2002). Moreover, the C allele has been associated with lower 5-HT2A
receptor binding in postmortem suicide brains (Turecki et al. 1999).
Recently, De Luca et al. (2009) investigated C allele methylation levels in
suicide and control subjects with schizophrenia, based on the hypothesis that the
102T/C polymorphism might directly influence 5-HT2A mRNA levels through
methylation of the C allele. A trend toward lower C allele methylation levels in
the PFC of suicide completers compared with controls was initially reported. On
the other hand, hypermethylation was found in leukocytes from patients with
a history of lifetime suicide attempts. These findings suggest that methylation
levels of the C allele may be different in individuals who have committed suicide
than in those who are planning or attempting suicide. The same group previously
showed that the C/ T allele expression ratio was significantly smaller in the PFC
of suicide subjects compared with controls (De Luca et al. 2007). With their latest
results, the authors suggest that the 102C allele may generate a repressor binding
site, which would explain lower steady mRNA level of the C allele. Thus,
methylation at this particular site could abolish the repressiveness of this site
by blocking the binding of the repressor to its cognate sequence, thereby increasing 102C allele expression in the PFC of suicide subjects with schizophrenia
(De Luca et al. 2009); however, functional studies are required to validate this
hypothesis.
4.7
Concluding Remarks
Although we have increased our knowledge concerning the role of epigenetic factors
in depressive disorders and suicide over the last few years, we are still far from
understanding how environmental events induce specific alterations at the level of
DNA, mRNA, and proteins. For now, strong direct experimental evidence in rats and
indirect retrospective evidence in humans support the fact that environmental factors
could alter the epigenetic mechanisms that govern expression of genes thought to be
involved in the control of important neuronal processes, which, in turn, are associated with behavioral changes. The majority of studies performed to date have
explored candidate genes hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiology of
major depression and suicide, but, while these studies are important, they are limited
in scope. Consequently, the time has come to examine epigenetic alterations on
a large scale. For instance, genome-wide high throughput comparative hybridization
arrays, large scale genome-based “deep” sequencing and ChIP-based methods
assessing histone modifications are now available. These large-scale studies will
open the door to the systematic investigation of epigenetic effects that may be
involved in suicide risk and allow the future development of novel and more targeted
therapeutic strategies.
64
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Chapter 5
Epidemiology Research and Epigenetics:
Translational Epidemiology of Schizophrenia
Mary Perrin, Karine Kleinhaus, Mark Opler, Julie Messinger,
and Dolores Malaspina
Abstract Epigenetic processes can explain some of the epidemiological associations between environmental exposure and disease, particularly when the exposure
occurs at a critical developmental stage. In this chapter, we present several epigenetic pathways associated with the risk for schizophrenia. We discuss nongenetic
factors – such as paternal age, toxin exposure, and psychological stressors – which
may influence human development by way of epigenetic mechanisms.
Keywords Environmental toxins Imprinting Intrauterine stress Paternal age X-chromosome
5.1
Introduction
The science of epigenetics has emerged in the last decade to study and define the
molecular mechanisms that control gene expression. This field promises to illuminate some key risk pathways of complex genetic disorders, including schizophrenia. After decades of genetic studies, the risk for common human diseases remains
largely unexplained. Before the Human Genome Project, scientists anticipated
finding as many as 150,000 human genes. By 2001, the expected number of
human genes was revised to less than 40,000, and based on the recent estimates,
we now expect to count just 20,000 human genes. A related line of studies has
demonstrated that humans are remarkably similar in their genetic codes, sharing
99.9% of nucleotide sequences. Human variability is therefore associated with only
a 0.1% variation in nucleotide sequences. How can the great diversity among
M. Perrin (*), K. Kleinhaus, M. Opler, J. Messinger, and D. Malaspina
New York University Langone Medical Center, Institute for Social and Psychiatric Initiatives:
InSPIRES, 500 First Avenue, NBV 22N-10, New York, NY 10016, USA
e-mail: Mary.Perrin@nyumc.org
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individual people be explained, given so few genes and so much similarity in
nucleotide sequences?
Epigenetic mechanisms provide a fresh perspective on human heredity and
variation, particularly in the areas of behavior and metabolism. In classic genetic
models, alterations of nucleotide sequences are predicted to influence the phenotype and determine disease risk, typically by generating greater or lesser amounts of
a protein or somewhat different proteins. This is still the major focus of most
genetic research. However, epigenetic mechanisms can initiate, sustain, control,
and silence gene expression through DNA methylation, RNA-associated silencing,
and histone modifications. Some animal studies have suggested that epigenetic
information may be heritable (Roth et al. 2009a, b). Epigenetic processes are
critically important for cell functioning and their marks can be altered during
development. These epigenetic marks may arise during our life course or possibly
through our more immediate ancestors (Mirabello et al. 2010). Most importantly,
some epigenetic marks may be biologically determined in response to environmental exposure, which may then be transmitted to descendants. Epigenetic marks are
metastable and may be altered through stochastic processes and gained or regained,
presumably to enhance the survival of the current organism and possibly of future
generations. RNA can direct epigenetic modifications to specific gene promoter
regions, usually causing these regions to be silenced. Such RNA-associated silencing arises from the transcription of segments that were previously considered to be
junk DNA.
This previously unknown mechanism led to a major paradigm shift, as we have
learned more about this formerly obscure layer of complexity in our genome.
Contrary to the “central dogma” that “DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein,”
we now know that RNA can also epigenetically regulate DNA expression. RNA
interference molecules are coded by the antisense strand of small interfering RNAs
(siRNAs) (Anway et al. 2005; Gibney and Nolan 2010). New research in epigenetic
mechanisms will reveal how and why certain genes are silenced or expressed and
whether these epigenetic marks remain stable or fade over generations or disappear
within a single lifetime. There are bound to be other surprises in the systems that
determine human variation.
Alterations in gene expression likely occur over short periods of time in response
to homeostatic and recuperative requirements and environmental stimuli, including
interactions with other people (Anway et al. 2005; Morgan et al. 1999; Roth et al.
2009a, b). However, other epigenetic pathways that influence our molecular identity are more stable; there is evidence that these may be established to optimize the
fit of each individual human being to his or her expected environment. The
establishment of such epigenetic marks may be based on intergenerational influences, such as the exposures and challenges of our parents and grandparents and
whether certain genes are maternally or paternally inherited, and on the intrauterine
environment. While these events precede our birth, it appears that they may have
lasting effects on our physiology by way of epigenetic mechanisms. In essence,
the environment of our immediate ancestors and our own life course exposures may
transform our identity at the molecular level to enhance our adaptability.
5 Epidemiology Research and Epigenetics
73
There are now scores of exciting topics in the field of the epigenetic regulation of
gene expression. Epigenetic information modulates our growth and metabolism and
surely influences the risk for chronic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. As this book demonstrates, however, epigenetic processes hold particular
interest with respect to the behavior and the risks for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Epigenetic mechanisms powerfully explain neuroplasticity and the necessary
adaptability of human behavioral repertoires.
This chapter demonstrates that data from epidemiological research can indicate
possible epigenetic pathways – including intergenerational effects, prenatal programming, and later paternal age – to schizophrenia.
5.2
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric syndrome with a prevalence of
0.30–0.66% and an incidence of 10.2–22.0/100,000 person years (reviewed in
van Os and Kapur 2009). The symptoms typically begin in late adolescence or
early adulthood, whereupon lifelong disability typically ensues. Onset is defined by
the emergence of psychosis in the setting of deteriorating function and other
symptoms (van Os and Kapur 2009). Before the onset of psychosis, during a
prodromal period of several weeks to many years, nonspecific and variable subtle
abnormalities worsen and coalesce into the classic disease features. These include
alterations in the perception of reality, changes in the form and content of thoughts
and speech, and social and emotional deficits including a disturbed sense of self,
social dysfunction, apathy, and peculiar behavior (Perkins 2004). The symptoms of
schizophrenia are often grouped into positive and negative subtypes, although there
may be substantive diversity in the pathophysiology of the symptoms within these
groups. Positive symptoms (so named because these phenomena occur in addition
to usual experiences) include hallucinations and delusions and disorganized thinking or behavior. Negative symptoms arise from the absence of normal behaviors or
experiences, including affective flattening, alogia (impoverished thinking manifested by diminished speech output or content), apathy, avolition (lack of energy
and drive), and social withdrawal (van Os and Kapur 2009).
5.2.1
Genetic Etiology of Schizophrenia
Early family, twin, and adoption studies showed that heritable factors were the major
components of schizophrenia vulnerability. Indeed, a century of research demonstrated substantially increased morbidity risks for schizophrenia in thousands of
the first degree relatives of schizophrenia probands (parents’ mean, 5.6%; siblings’
mean, 10.1%; and children’ mean, 12.8%) compared with the general population
(Gottesman and Shields 1982). These early findings remained robust against more
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modern studies that directly interviewed all relatives and made operationalized
diagnoses “blind” to kinship status (Goldstein et al. 1990; Pulver et al. 2004;
Wolyniec et al. 1992). Since family studies cannot distinguish between genetic
and environmental influences on familial aggregation, twin studies were also
employed. Monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs differ in their genetic
endowment (sharing 100% of genetic variability and an average of 50% of genetic
variability, respectively) and are typically exposed to the same familial environment. Accordingly, and in keeping with genetic hypotheses, MZ and DZ co-twins of
schizophrenia probands differ in their risk for the disease. Since the initial twin
studies of Luxenburger (1928), conducted over 80 years ago, the mean probandwise
concordance for MZ twins are consistently threefold higher than for DZ twins (e.g.,
59.2 and 15.2% in Kendler 1986). These risks are 40–60 times the risk to the general
population, supporting genetic causation. Genetic studies show schizophrenia to be
a highly heritable disorder with a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Although
dominant, recessive, sex-linked, oligogenic, and polygenic models for schizophrenia transmission have been proposed and variably supported, research has favored
the likelihood of a prominent polygenic component involving rare and common
alleles, each having a very small effect on the overall population risk (Purcell et al.
2009). Recently, however, it has been suggested that highly penetrant, rare variants
of recent origin, affecting neurodevelopmental pathways, may account for some of
the population risk (Walsh et al. 2008).
There is an ample room for epigenetic explanations for the risk, onset, and
progression of illness. For example, while the significant pairwise concordance
for illness in monozygotic twins confirmed the genetic influence for the risk, it did
not explain the nonconcordance in identical twins. Viewing the twin study data
from the elegant perspective of epigenetics is informative. Petronis et al. (2003)
made a leap forward for the field when he showed that monozygotic twins exhibit
numerous epigenetic differences, which could explain their discordance. Epigenetic
factors can contribute to phenotypic discordance in genetically identical organisms
because these factors influence the silencing and expression of genes. They can be
determined in development by individual exposures and/or subjected to addition
or loss by stochastic processes – an elegant rebuttal to the warring camps of nature
vs. nurture!
5.2.2
Nature and Nurture
Over the history of psychiatric discourse, debates have continued as to whether
mental outcomes, ranging from intelligence to temperament to schizophrenia, are
better explained by “nature” or “nurture.” From the new perspective of epigenetics,
gene–environment interaction pathways may form or activate molecular modulators that control gene expression, for the purpose of enhancing the adaptability of
the organism to an expected environment. If metastable changes in gene expression
that arise from exposures (i.e., nurture) are heritable, then the boundary between
75
nature and nurture is obviated. In the setting where epigenetic changes can be
inherited and passed on to subsequent generations, the “nurture” of one generation
contributes to the “nature” of subsequent generations. Thus, nature and nurture are
not distinct, and are certainly not at war.
Human disease may result from failures of epigenetic modifications, as can
occur with a mutation in the DNA that precludes methylation, or from the continuance of an epigenetic modification that evolved to enhance survival in our ancestors
when food was limited, but which now increases the risk for obesity and diabetes in
a setting of food abundance (Gluckman et al. 2008). Likewise, epigenetic changes
related to prenatal adversity may have yielded a vigilant and a hyperactive offspring, whose chances for survival were enhanced in an unstable ecosystem,
perhaps with new predators. Yet in our society, the same molecular program may
be associated with behavioral malfunction or mental illness.
5.3
Epigenetics, Fetal Environment, and Effects
on the Offspring
Epidemiological studies show that several environmental factors increase the risk
for schizophrenia. These exposures may act alone or in concert with variants in
certain genes, or may alter epigenetic mechanisms that control gene expression.
The intrauterine environment may be particularly salient for alterations in fetal
gene expression. Currently, laboratory evidence is being sought to demonstrate that
changes in epigenetic mechanisms are the link between the environmental exposures and the risk for schizophrenia.
5.3.1
Epigenetics and the Intrauterine Environment
DNA methylation can vary due to environmental factors including nutrition, chemical exposures, or psychosocial issues (Bergman et al. 2010; Cooney et al. 2002;
Pilsner et al. 2007; Roth et al. 2009a, b). Future laboratory research should continue
to investigate epigenetic mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between
the environment and the risk for psychosis (Rutten and Mill 2009). While epidemiologic studies do not often prove causality, translational research linking epidemiologic and basic science studies are likely to advance our understanding of both the
etiology of schizophrenia and potential therapies (McGrath and Richards 2009).
There is continuing debate about the contribution of the intrauterine environment to the later risk for schizophrenia. While high rates of discordance for
schizophrenia in monozygotic twins is often cited as evidence for the role of
environmental factors in the etiology of schizophrenia, the discordance could
potentially result from changes occurring in DNA methylation from the early
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embryonal development period onwards (Schaefer et al. 2007). These epigenetic
changes could plausibly be stochastic in nature and independent of the environment
(Fraga et al. 2005; Petronis et al. 2003).
5.3.2
Epigenetic Processes, Intrauterine Exposures,
and Schizophrenia
Because schizophrenia is considered to be a neurodevelopmental disease, current
research is focusing on epigenetic processes in the context of the intrauterine
environment. The large array of diverse fetal exposures associated with schizophrenia includes maternal infection (Brown 2006), famine (St Clair et al. 2005),
preeclampsia (Cannon et al. 2002), diabetes (Cannon et al. 2002), stress (Malaspina
et al. 2008), and other adversities. These disparate intrauterine events may cause
schizophrenia by way of unique unrelated pathways, such as immune effects on the
fetal brain, direct effects of infectious agents, compromised blood flow, decreased
caloric intake, and other mechanisms (Koenig et al. 2002).
A more parsimonious expectation is that they may act through a final common
pathway that is a nonspecific indicator of prenatal adversity. If so, the mechanism
may involve the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and glucocorticoid hormones, which are thought to induce changes in gene expression (Cottrell and Seckl
2009; Seckl 2004; Seckl and Holmes 2007; Welberg et al. 2000). In animal studies,
epigenetic changes in offspring have been linked to intrauterine exposure to
endogenously or exogenously administered glucocorticoids, which are known to
be associated with stress in pregnancy.
In humans, glucocorticoids from the maternal adrenal glands stimulate placental CRH production and gene expression (King et al. 2001). While CRH is well
appreciated for its activity as the central regulator of the stress response in rodents
and humans, it plays additional roles in human pregnancy, during which a large
amount of CRH is synthesized by the placenta and secreted into the maternal and
fetal circulatory systems (Mastorakos and Ilias 2003; Reis et al. 1999). CRH is a
primary determinant of gestational length (Buss et al. 2009; Smith and Nicholson
2007; Wadhwa et al. 2004, 1998) and an important mediator of fetal growth and
development (Ellman et al. 2008; Wadhwa 2005; Weinstock 2005). In the setting
of a threatened pregnancy, either from maternal or fetal complications or from
extrinsic factors, the secretion of maternal cortisol and CRH can ramp up the
placental CRH production to accelerate parturition and restrict fetal growth
independent of other effects of the medical complications (Hobel et al. 1999;
Wadhwa et al. 2004). Low birth weight and preterm birth, both of which have
been linked to schizophrenia, can result (Wadhwa et al. 2004). These actions of
CRH are consistent with the hypothesis that a number of adversities influence the
health and viability of the fetus, including the later risk for schizophrenia, via a
final common pathway.
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It is a challenge to disentangle the impact of CRH on an adverse pregnancy
outcome when it arises secondarily to medical complications, which can themselves cause fetal adversity. However, if CRH mediates the risk, then severe stress
and stress sensitivity alone should be associated with the risk for schizophrenia in
susceptible individuals. Indeed, a number of epidemiologic studies link prenatal
stress with schizophrenia risk, particularly when the stress occurs in early pregnancy (Khashan et al. 2008; Malaspina et al. 2008). Epidemiologic studies show
that acute psychological trauma and nutritional deprivation in pregnant mothers
from war (Malaspina et al. 2008), famine (St Clair et al. 2005), or bereavement
(Khashan et al. 2008) is associated with increased risk for schizophrenia in the
offspring, as well as for autism, intellectual dysfunction, and decreased language
abilities (Beversdorf et al. 2005; Khashan et al. 2008; King and Laplante 2005;
Kinney et al. 2008; Laplante et al. 2004, 2008; Malaspina et al. 2008; Susser and
Lin 1992). The increased risk for schizophrenia depends, in part, on the timing of
the insult during early pregnancy, suggesting that environmental exposures affect
risk only during certain critical periods of fetal development (Khashan et al. 2008;
Malaspina et al. 2008; Susser and Lin 1992).
We analyzed the effects of fetal exposure to acute maternal stress by month of
gestation. The Arab/Israeli Six Day War of June 1967 was a severe psychological
stressor that lasted for a month, but with no long-term nutritional deprivation or
displacement for Israeli mothers. In May 1967, Egypt closed the Gulf of Aqaba to
Israeli shipping, effectively beginning the war and its associated stress. The war
was ended by the UN-arranged cease-fire on June 10. Our study found that the risk
for schizophrenia in offspring was associated only with a maternal exposure to the
stress of war in the second month of pregnancy; exposure during other months
showed no effect on the risk for schizophrenia. Furthermore, the effects differed by
sex, as illustrated in Fig. 5.1 (Malaspina et al. 2008), with female offspring showing
a greater increase in the risk of schizophrenia in the presence of stress in pregnancy.
Fig. 5.1 Schizophrenia in males and females, by estimated gestational age on June 1967. Fiveweek sliding average incidence, adjusted for paternal and maternal age, month of birth, low social
class, and duration of marriage (Malaspina et al. 2008)
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5.3.3
M. Perrin et al.
Longitudinal Epidemiological Research in Birth Cohort
Studies Can Identify Possible Epigenetic Pathways
Longitudinal research in a population-based cohort is the optimal method for
identifying possible epigenetic factors in epidemiological models. Disorders that
are associated with environmental exposures in critical developmental periods
suggest that the epigenetic mechanisms have a causal role in the pathway to disease.
Our group’s work on severe intrauterine stress and paternal age was conducted
using data from the Jerusalem Perinatal Study. This is a population-based cohort
derived from data on all births from 1964 to 1976 to residents of a defined
geographic area in Jerusalem and nearby. The cohort includes core information
from the birth certificate supplemented with data from multiple sources, including
maternal interviews and pediatric admissions. The Ministry of Health linked
the Jerusalem Perinatal Study with Israel’s Psychiatric Case Registry, providing
information on psychiatric morbidity. Run by the Ministry of Health since 1950
(Lichtenberg et al. 1999), the Psychiatric Case Registry contains a record of all
admissions to psychiatric hospitals or psychiatric wards within general hospitals,
and admissions to day facilities for psychiatric treatment. It includes dates of
admission and discharge and a single discharge diagnosis for each episode,
assigned by a board-certified psychiatrist. These diagnoses are coded with the
International Classification of Diseases (ICD); codes from earlier years have been
updated to the tenth revision and those for psychotic disorders have been validated
(Weiser et al. 2005).
In our research, we defined schizophrenia broadly so as to include discharge
diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, delusional disorders, nonaffective
psychoses, and schizoaffective disorders, hereafter called “schizophrenia-related
disorders” (ICD-10; codes F20-29).
Of the original 92,408 births in the cohort, the identities of 90,079 (97.5%) were
verified through Israel’s population registry and their vital status ascertained.
Approximately, 0.7% were lost to follow-up due to changes in identity number
(e.g., adopted, formally emigrated, or in witness protection programs). The remaining 1.8% untraced included 37% who had been born to unmarried mothers (likely to
have been adopted) and 12% whose mother had no ID number (likely to have been
diplomats or foreign exchange students). There were 861 cases of schizophreniarelated diagnoses in the traced cohort, and 761 individuals with “other” causes of
psychiatric hospital admission. The median age at the first hospital admission was
22.8 (range 5–39) for the schizophrenia-related diagnoses and 21.4 (range 5–40) for
the other diagnoses. The annual incidence of first hospital admissions in individuals
with schizophrenia-related diagnoses was 0.02/1,000 by ages 8–9, increasing to 0.9/
1,000 by ages 19–20, 0.5/1,000 by ages 29–30, and during the next decade 0.01/
1,000. The life-table estimate of cumulative incidence of schizophrenia was 1.2%
by ages 39–40.
This cohort was established by farseeing investigators. It now provides 28–40
years of follow-up from pregnancy and birth through the age of risk for adult
79
diseases including schizophrenia. This rich resource of prospectively collected
exposure data permits powerful and precise studies of environmental influences
in critical developmental periods. Since the Jerusalem Perinatal Study contains
information on the both maternal and paternal grandfathers, parents, and offspring,
it allows for an intergenerational view along with intrauterine environment and life
course perspectives.
5.3.4
Confirming Stress-in-Pregnancy Effects
in Translational Studies
Animal studies have corroborated findings of epidemiologic studies that the intrauterine environment is crucial to adult health, and have also demonstrated that
prenatal nutrition (e.g., folate and neural tube defects) (Fleming and Copp 1998)
and other environmental factors (Zhong et al. 2010) can affect neurodevelopment.
For instance, mice whose mothers received a choline supplemented diet during
pregnancy showed significantly improved sensory inhibition (a biomarker for
schizophrenia) compared to control mice; they also showed an increase in a-7
receptor numbers in both the CA1 and the dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus
(Stevens et al. 2008). Nutritional supplementation during gestation resulted in
permanent improvement in a physiological task that is deficient in animal models
of schizophrenia, suggesting that the intrauterine environment might also ameliorate the risk for schizophrenia.
Obstetric complications may also influence the risk for schizophrenia. A study
found that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genes regulated
by hypoxia are involved in neural vascular functioning interact with serious obstetric complications to influence the risk of schizophrenia. Offspring with “risk”
alleles at these SNPs and the history of obstetric complications had a higher risk
of schizophrenia than those without the polymorphisms (Nicodemus et al. 2008).
These findings correlate well with epidemiologic findings that obstetric complications, including preeclampsia, hemorrhage, maternal sepsis at childbirth, and manual extraction of the baby (Byrne et al. 2007) are associated with increased risk of
schizophrenia.
Building on epidemiologic studies that associate stress early in pregnancy with
schizophrenia (Brown 2006; Malaspina et al. 2008; St Clair et al. 2005), researchers
analyzed the effects of intrauterine exposure to glucocorticoids during early gestation. Pregnant rats that had been injected with synthetic glucocorticoid during early
pregnancy delivered offspring that showed decreased juvenile social play, a blunted
acoustic startle reflex, increased prepulse inhibition of startle, and reduced amphetamine-induced motor activity, which are animal behaviors considered relevant to
schizophrenia. In addition, dams, which were treated, exhibited increased milk
ejection bouts during nursing. The frequency of milk ejections significantly interacted with the effects of dexamethasone on play behavior and acoustic startle reflex.
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M. Perrin et al.
Fig. 5.2 Social play behaviors in juvenile offspring of dams treated with saline (CON; n ¼ 6;
gray bars) or DEX (n ¼ 5; red bars). Bars show litter means (SEM) for the number of pins (A)
and walkovers (B) per a 10-min period of interaction between two same-sexed littermates. DEX
offspring showed decreases in play behavior. *p < 0.05, tp ¼ 0.16 (Kleinhaus et al. 2010)
Both intrauterine conditions and postnatal maternal behavior likely contributed to
the effects of early environment on an increase in schizophrenia-related behaviors
as demonstrated in Fig. 5.2 (Kleinhaus et al. 2010).
Prenatal stress has been shown to influence hippocampal development in a dosedependent manner. Mild stress of short duration enhances its development, whereas
long-lasting and severe stress disturbs its development (Fujioka et al. 2006).
Although prenatal stress reduces hippocampal cell proliferation throughout life,
as well as cell survival and differentiation (Lemaire et al. 2006), these effects can be
completely counteracted by increased infantile stimulation consisting of postnatal
handling (Lemaire et al. 2006). Rats that were prenatally stressed also have
decreased levels of 5-HT1A immunobinding in the ventral hippocampus as compared with controls (Van den Hove et al. 2006). Rat pups whose dams were stressed
during pregnancy have more anxiogenic behavior and impaired spatial learning.
Adrenalectomy of the pregnant dams precluded these effects on the pups, suggesting
that the high levels of corticosterone secreted by pregnant rats in response to stress
mediates the intrauterine stress effects on the developing fetal brain (Zagron and
Weinstock 2006).
Epigenetic mechanisms may certainly underlie these environmental effects on
the risk for aberrant behavior. A rat model of maltreatment in the first week of life
showed increased DNA methylation of the BDNF gene in the adult prefrontal
cortex. Even the offspring of the females that had experienced the maltreatment
regimen showed increased BDNF methylation, which suggests that early environment can trigger a heritable epigenetic change (Roth et al. 2009a). The molecular
mechanism potentially perpetuates changes in gene expression and behavior
throughout the lifespan of the stressed female and into the next generation (Roth
et al. 2009a, b). BDNF has also been linked to schizophrenia (Weickert et al. 2003).
Despite these changes in BDNF methylation, it is not yet established whether
epigenetic regulation of gene expression is a common underlying mechanism for
the link between environmental factors and schizophrenia.
5.4
81
Genomic Imprinting
The phenomenon of genomic imprinting is ancient, having arisen in a common
ancestor to marsupials and eutherian mammals over 150 million years ago (Killian
et al. 2000). The evolutionary implications of this mechanism are intriguing.
Imprinted genes date back to the branching of the evolutionary tree about 180
million years ago, when live births began for placental mammals. As it is true for
most sex differences in mammals, this mechanism may have arisen to account for
the differential contribution of resources by the mother and father to the offspring of
the next generation. Sex differences are commonly related to sexual reproduction,
and the reciprocal silencing and expression of genes from one parent or the other is
no exception. The roles of male and female differ with respect to the parturition and
nurture of offspring. Likewise, the epigenetic complement of sperm and egg
inherited by the young serves the paternal and maternal investments by optimizing
the survival and reproduction of the young.
Genomic imprinting of genes runs counter to the usual expectation of biallelic
inheritance and expression. Imprinted genes are haploid, as only a single allele is
expressed. Such genes are susceptible to environmental mutagens or random
mutations, as there is no alternative allele. We have proposed that these mechanisms may be particularly sensitive to later paternal age (Malaspina et al. 2001).
Errors in erasure or reestablishment of these imprinting patterns may lead to
defective gene expression profiles in the offspring. Human imprinted genes have
a critical role in the growth of the placenta, fetus, and central nervous system; in
behavioral development; and in adult body size. Imprinted genes are essential for
intrauterine development through parturition.
5.4.1
An Imprinting Mechanism
Imprinted genes generally, but not always, reside in clusters, which include both
paternally and maternally imprinted genes. The clusters are about 1 Mb and contain
a noncoding RNA gene whose product helps to regulate the imprinting of nearby
genes. Imprinting control regions, called differentially methylated regions (DMR),
coordinate the imprinting of genes in these clusters. During gametogenesis, the
methylation marks of the previous generation (the grandparents of the offspring)
are erased and subsequently re-established. Though this process is not well understood, there are several proposed mechanisms to explain it [see review in Weaver
et al. (2009) for more detail].
In peripheral blood cells, the insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene is silenced
on the maternal allele and expressed from the paternal allele (Feinberg and Tycko
2004). The mechanism involved in this silencing or inactivation is complex, and
involves the pattern of methylation at a nearby locus. IGF2 is found in an imprinted
region on chromosome 11 that also includes H19, a putative tumor suppressor gene,
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M. Perrin et al.
and several differentially methylated regions (DMR). A DMR 2–4 kb upstream of
H19 contains a CCCTC-motif binding site for the CTCF protein (Lewis and Murrell
2004). The maternal DMR is unmethylated and accessible to CTCF, which acts as
an insulator, preventing the promoters of IGF2 from accessing the endodermal
enhancers, thus silencing the maternal copy of IGF2. Methylation of the DMR on
the paternal allele prevents the binding of CTCF, leading to its expression (Murrell
et al. 2004).
Imprinting is tissue-specific, maybe even cell-specific, and may differ by the
stage of development (Davies et al. 2005). For example, IGF2 is monoallelically
expressed in all tissues except the brain and the liver, where it is biallelically
expressed.
Errors in imprinting may occur at any point during erasure, establishment, or
maintenance of an imprint. Loss of imprinting occurs when a previously silenced
maternal or paternal allele is partially or completely expressed. Loss of imprinting
of IGF2 has been consistently recognized as a risk factor for colon cancer; it is
detected in blood and tumor tissue (Cruz-Correa et al. 2004; Cui et al. 2003; Cui
et al. 2002). In a percentage of individuals with Angelman and Praeder-Willi (PWS)
syndromes, there is a loss of gene expression due to the failure to erase in the
parental germline and the imprint established in the grandparental germline
(Horsthemke and Buiting 2006). Though both these syndromes are associated
with behavioral, cognitive, and neurologic impairment, in the case of PWS,
5–10% of cases experience schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms (Davies et al.
2001). Epigenetic dysregulation in the parental gametes or in the fetus could
therefore influence the gene expression and function of the placenta, which would
likely have a substantial impact on fetal development.
5.5
Paternal Age-Related Schizophrenia
While siblings receive similar genetic contributions from their parents, their epigenetic profiles may vary substantially. Changes may occur in sperm and egg cells due
to aging or environmental exposures of the parents and differing intrauterine and
postnatal environments. It is possible that these differences can alter behavior.
We showed that the risk of schizophrenia continues to linearly increase with
advancing paternal age, which helps to explain the effect of birth order on schizophrenia within families (Malaspina 2001).
5.5.1
De Novo Mutations and Later Paternal Age
We have speculated that the maintenance of schizophrenia in the population,
despite the reduced fecundity of affected individuals, might be explained by the
83
replenishment of disease susceptibility genes through new mutations. If so, then the
risk for schizophrenia is expected to be related to paternal age, as this is the major
source of de novo mutations in humans and other mammals. This fact is explained
by the constant cell replication cycles that are ongoing in spermatogenesis. Following puberty, spermatogonia undergo some 23 divisions per year. At ages 20 and 40,
a man’s germ cell precursors will have undergone about 200 and 660 such divisions, respectively. By contrast, oogonia undergo only a dozen or so cell divisions,
predominantly during the mother’s fetal life. During a man’s lifetime, the constantly dividing spermatogonia are vulnerable to random errors, DNA damage from
toxins, and other mutations. These lead to errors in spermatogonia that accumulate
in expanding clones as men age (Crow 1999).
5.5.2
Imprinting as a Mechanism Linking Paternal
Age to the Risk for Schizophrenia
Advancing paternal age could also plausibly involve epigenetic mechanisms
(Brown et al. 2002; Byrne et al. 2003; Dalman and Allebeck 2002; El-Saadi et al.
2004; Malaspina et al. 2001; Sipos et al. 2004; Tsuchiya et al. 2005; Zammit et al.
2003). Paternal age has been shown in repeated studies to be a strong risk factor for
schizophrenia, second only to family history of the disorder.
There are several characteristics of imprinted genes that make them reasonable
candidates for schizophrenia vulnerability. Paternally and maternally expressed
genes are both necessary for embryogenesis (Surani et al. 1990), playing greater
roles in placental and embryo development, respectively (Kato et al. 1999). The
influence of paternal genes in the placenta may represent a mechanism for the father
to ensure that his offspring derives adequate resources from the maternal in utero
environment, even if it may be in the best interest of the mother to limit these
resources (Iwasa 1998).
Imprinted genes play a key role in brain development, leading to lasting
changes in cognition and behavior (Isles and Wilkinson 2000; Keverne et al.
1996). In fact, it has been reported that among males but not females, average
DNA methylation of the IGF2, a paternally expressed gene is significantly
correlated with brain weight (Pidsley et al. 2010). There appears to be a neuroanatomic localization pattern for the expression of certain imprinted genes in mice:
the paternal or maternal allele expression patterns correspond to the limbic and
neocortical regions, respectively (Allen et al. 1995; Keverne et al. 1996). The
conceptualization of schizophrenia symptoms as deriving from an imbalance or
modulatory disturbance between these regions (Weinberger et al. 1992) might be
pertinent to these expression differences. In addition, genes for several neurotransmitters implicated in schizophrenia may be imprinted, including those for the
serotonin 2A receptor, the dopamine 3 receptor, and several GABA A receptors
(see Meguro et al. 1997; Petronis et al. 2000).
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5.6
M. Perrin et al.
Imprinting and the X-Chromosome
There is strong circumstantial evidence that there are imprinted genes on the
X-chromosome. This evidence includes studies in women with Turner’s syndrome.
Additional support comes by way of epidemiologic studies, which are also discussed below. Further, we will look at the paternal X-chromosome as it may play a
role in schizophrenia. We will also discuss skewed X-chromosome inactivation and
schizophrenia.
5.6.1
Evidence Supporting the Role of Imprinted Genes
on the X-Chromosome
Although several imprinted genes on the X-chromosome have been detected in
mice (Kobayashi et al. 2010), as of yet, none have been found on the human
X-chromosome. A study by Susan Harlap investigated whether imprinted genes
may play a role in schizophrenia (Harlap et al. 2009). In this study, the authors
examined the association between schizophrenia in the offspring and birthplace of
the maternal and paternal grandfather. The study reported that a paternal grandfather from Romania or Hungary increased the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring
[RR 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–2.8 and RR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0–2.6,
respectively] whereas a maternal grandfather from Romania or Hungary reduced
the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring (RR 0.5; 95% CI 0.3–0.8 and RR 0.4; 95%
CI 0.2–0.8, respectively). The increased risk associated with having a paternal
grandfather from Romania or Hungary was more apparent in female offspring
than in male offspring, whereas the decreased risk associated with a maternal
grandfather from these countries was similar in males and females. The authors
posited that the sex differences reported in this study could be explained by an
imprinted locus on the X-chromosome.
5.6.2
Other Research Suggesting the Presence of Imprinted
Genes on the X-Chromosome
On the basis of studies in women with Turner’s syndrome (45, X), many genes related
to neurocognition and social function are thought to lie on the X-chromosome.
Women with Turner’s syndrome have a constellation of symptoms such as short
stature, neurocognitive and social function decrements, and failure to undergo
puberty due to ovarian failure. Several studies have suggested that the constellation
of symptoms in women with Turner’s syndrome may differ between women with a
maternal X (Xm) and a paternal X (Xp) chromosome. Some studies have noted that
women with an Xp have better social and executive function than Xm women
85
(Skuse et al. 1997). Others have noted that there is strong correlation with cardiovascular disease in Xm women but not in Xp women (Chu et al. 1994). Another
more recent study reported morphological differences in superior temporal gyrus
gray matter between Xm and Xp women (Kesler et al. 2003). The results of these
studies strongly suggest the presence of imprinted genes on the X-chromosome.
5.6.3
Skewed X-Chromosome Inactivation and Schizophrenia
Since women receive an X-chromosome from each parent, they have both a
maternal (Xm) and a paternal (Xp) X-chromosome. One X-chromosome is silenced
in early embryogenesis in each cell line to maintain dosage compensation with
males who have only one X-chromosome (46, Xm Y). In women, silencing of one
X-chromosome is usually a random process resulting in 50% of cells with an Xm
chromosome and 50% of cells with an Xp chromosome actively transcribed.
Deviations from the expected 50:50 ratio of paternal to maternal X-chromosome
silencing appear to be relatively common in females. More than 30% of women
have ratios of 75:25 or more extreme distributions (Kim et al. 2004; Kristiansen
et al. 2003; Lanasa et al. 1999; Struewing et al. 2006), though only 1–10% has ratios
of 90:10 or more extreme distributions (Kim et al. 2004; Lanasa et al. 1999).
Random inactivation is considered protective if one allele has a deleterious mutation. However, skewed inactivation can lead to a functional loss of heterozygosity
(Buller et al. 1999) resulting in predominant expression of a deleterious mutation or
other genetic or epigenetic error (Hedera and Gorski 2003; Kinoshita et al. 2004;
Parolini et al. 1998; Pegoraro et al. 1997; Valleix et al. 2002).
Through the study of X-linked retardation syndromes and Turner’s syndrome, it
is thought that many loci on the X-chromosome are related to cognition and social
functioning. A study by Rosa et al. (2008) reported that differential methylation of
the X-chromosome in female monozygotic twin pairs was greater in discordant
twin pairs than in concordant twin pairs for bipolar disorder. The results were not
significant for schizophrenia. A study is currently being conducted in which it is
hypothesized that extreme skewing of 90:10 will be more common in affected
sisters than in their nonaffected female siblings. Among those with skewed Xinactivation, it will be determined whether Xp or Xm is preferentially actively
transcribed in both affected and nonaffected sisters.
5.6.4
The Paternal X-Chromosome
Sex differences in the age of onset, symptoms, and prognosis are consistently
recognized in large groups of patients with schizophrenia. One of the obvious
differences between males and females is that only females receive a paternal
X-chromosome. It is now becoming well established that important epigenetic
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M. Perrin et al.
changes occur in the paternal X-chromosome through gametogenesis, so later
paternal age could conceivably influence the efficiency of the epigenetic processing
of the paternal X-chromosome (reviewed in Zamudio et al. 2008). If so, then a
greater risk for paternal age-related schizophrenia (PARS) might be observed for
females.
We conducted research to determine the influence of advanced paternal age on
the risk of schizophrenia in offspring based on the sex of the offspring and their
relation to any other first-degree family members who were hospitalized with
schizophrenia (Perrin et al. 2010). Among male and female offspring of fathers
greater than 35 years of age, mothers diagnosed with schizophrenia conferred the
highest overall risk of schizophrenia to their offspring, as has been reported.
However, there were marked differences in the risk for schizophrenia in the female
and male offspring of older fathers. Sisters of affected females born to older fathers
had an almost ninefold increase in their risk of schizophrenia (95% CI 3.9–19.8)
compared to the population. By contrast, for the brothers of affected males born to
older fathers, the risk of schizophrenia was similar to that of male siblings born to
younger fathers.
All female siblings inherit the same paternal X-chromosome. Our results suggest
that aberrant epigenetic processes in the paternal X-chromosome and accumulated
genetic mutations in the constantly replicating male germline as paternal age
advances may increase the risk of schizophrenia in female offspring.
5.7
Environmental Toxins and the Paternal Germline:
Epigenetic Effects
Epigenetic changes in sperm from toxic exposures are likely to be of huge public
health significance. These effects may be magnified in men of advancing age.
Epigenetic changes over the life course in animal studies are consistent with
changes in DNA methylation with a trend toward global hypomethylation of
repetitive sequences and proto-oncogenes, along with gene-specific hypermethylation increases with age (Ahuja et al. 1998; Wilson and Jones 1983; Wilson et al.
1987). Nonetheless, methylation status fluctuates over the course of development
according to cell and tissue type, developmental stage, and experimental conditions. Age-related changes in sperm DNA methylation have not been as carefully
studied, although hypermethylation of sequences in sperm ribosomal RNA loci in
older animals was reported by Oakes et al. (2003). Both endogenous and exogenous
mechanisms have been suggested for age-related changes in methylation.
Exposure to chemicals that inhibit methylation enzymes (e.g., heavy metal exposure such as nickel; Chen et al. 2006) may have long-term consequences, since DNA
remethylation processes may be incomplete or prone to error. One study of monozygotic twins reports that epigenetic differences increase over time, providing further
87
support for the theory that the environmental exposures over time alter methylation
patterns (Fraga et al. 2005).
While both human and animal studies demonstrate changes in sperm chromatin
structure and stability with age, there is a lack of consensus on the nature of the
changes and the degree to which these are related to aging. In a rat model, Zubkova
et al. (2005) found that sperm chromatin stability was nearly equivalent in young
and older rats under normal conditions. However, in the older rats, sperm chromatin
was much more susceptible to oxidative stress, causing decreased stability and
increases in single- and double-strand breaks. Clinical studies also suggest that
stability is decreased in aging men. Using the comet assay to detect single- and
double-strand breaks in DNA, Singh et al. (2003) reported a positive correlation
between age and DNA fragmentation levels. Measures of reproductive health in
male rodents consider pathology and outcome of proximal (pathology of testicular
tissue and direct microscopic examination of spermatogenic cells), intermediate
(sperm concentration, motility, and morphology), and distal processes (mating
behavior and success, litter number, weight, and viability). In studies of leadinduced reproductive toxicity, there are inconsistencies in the extent to which distal
vs. proximal and direct vs. indirect effects are reported (Apostoli et al. 1998;
Mangelsdorf et al. 2003). Some of these differences may be related to interspecies
and interstrain differences in toxicokinetics due to genetic differences.
Despite ongoing controversy regarding the precise level of exposure at which
effects may be apparent in a given species or strain, there is consensus that highlevel lead exposure negatively affects male reproductive health and may be responsible for reduced male fertility. Stowe and Goyer (1971) were among the first to
report that mating behavior may be altered in lead exposed rats, as well as the
likelihood of fertilization. Silbergeld et al (2003) found that male rats exposed to
lead through their drinking water (average BPb levels of 60 mg/dL) were less likely
to successfully fertilize unexposed females. In contrast, Nelson et al. (1997; see
later) report no effects on fertility in rabbits (at levels of 80 mg/dL), although the
viability of offspring at very high levels (110 mg/dL) was reduced.
The importance of fertility in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders has
been demonstrated in work by our own group on time-to-pregnancy and risk of
schizophrenia in offspring (Opler et al. 2010).
Using data from the Jerusalem Perinatal Study, postpartum interview data on the
number of months required for a couple to conceive were analyzed. Compared with
offspring conceived in less than 3 months, the unadjusted relative risks (RR) of
schizophrenia associated with conception times of 3–5, 6–11, and 12+ months were
1.10 (95% CI 0.62–1.94), 1.41 (95% CI 0.79–2.52), and 1.88 (95% CI 1.05–3.37)
with p for trend ¼ 0.035. It should be noted that in such studies, it is difficult to
attribute time-to-pregnancy changes to either male- or female-related factors.
However, these findings suggest that factors associated with fecundability, either
male or female, may contribute to the risk of schizophrenia.
In vitro studies have shown that lead and other heavy metals may interfere with
DNA binding to protamines, small proteins critical both to sperm chromatin stability,
and for condensation/decondensation events during fertilization. Foster et al. (1996)
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M. Perrin et al.
studied the effect of lead on sperm chromatin in cynomolgus monkeys and found
changes in chromatin structure at exposure levels below the limit generally thought
to have fertility effects in humans. Results from both in vitro and in vivo studies
(Hernandez-Ochoa et al. 2006) have suggested that lead has differential effects on
chromatin condensation depending on timing and dose, i.e., chromatin of immature
spermatocytes that have not completed postmeiotic processing appears to be less
condensed in lead-exposed animals. By contrast, chromatin from more mature
spermatocytes that have undergone late-stage processing including incorporation
of protamines appears to be more condensed in lead-exposed animals. The authors
postulate that the negative effects on fertility are primarily due to “overstabilization” of disulfide bonds in protamines.
5.7.1
Heavy Metals, Solvents, Epigenetics, and Outcomes
in Offspring
Many DNA methyltransferases are zinc-dependent, making them potential targets
for toxicity following exposure to lead and other heavy metals. Shiao et al. (2005)
demonstrated that the specific gene coding for the promoter for 45s ribosomal RNA
in mice is altered in the sperm of mice that were exposed to Chromium(III) [Cr(III)],
which is known to be a transgenerational carcinogen. Key events in DNA methylation, including methioninesynthase activity have been shown to be affected by
chemical exposures such as lead, ethanol, mercury, and aluminum (Waly et al. 2004).
There is some evidence to suggest that epigenetic mechanisms might mediate
behavioral and other outcomes in offspring from heavy metal-exposed males.
Nelson et al. (1997) demonstrated abnormalities in exploratory behavior, novelty
seeking, and the rates of physical activity in the offspring of male rabbits exposed to
high lead levels of 40 mg/dL or more. Statistically significant reductions in activity
were seen at postnatal day 25 in offspring with paternal exposures of lead at 40 and
80 mg/dL. Both maternal and paternal lead exposure may influence offspring
behavior (Brady et al. 1975), including spatial learning measured by increased
swimming times in water maze tests. Offspring groups that had both parents
exposed to lead demonstrated the highest level of impairment, with significantly
longer swim times than either maternal or paternal exposure separately.
Researchers have also examined the growth and development of hippocampal
neurons in the brains of animals paternally exposed to lead (Silbergeld et al. 2003).
Hippocampal cells were removed from neonatal brains of the offspring of leadexposed sires (postnatal day 1), and cultured; after 7 days, surviving cells (largely
pyramidal) were subjected to morphological analysis. Cultures from paternally
exposed animals showed two principal differences from controls: larger cell bodies
and increases in the total number of cells with “higher order” branching (i.e.,
increased numbers of dendrites per axon). The authors suggest changes in timing
and regulation of pruning may be responsible for observed behavioral findings.
89
From a public health perspective, exposure to epigenetically active compounds
should be of concern in men of reproductive age (Sharpe 2010). Studies by Opler
et al. (2004, 2008) have suggested a link between second and third trimester lead
exposure and risk of schizophrenia in adulthood. While certain airborne pollutant
levels, for example, lead levels, have fallen in the US since the 1970s, occupational
settings still offer the opportunity for exposure. Although no longer sold commercially to the public, tetraethyl lead is used as a gasoline additive in military engines
(particularly aircraft) and has only been recently removed from gasoline at
NASCAR sporting events. Concern regarding exposure levels for individuals
working in these settings is justifiable, particularly since there is an overrepresentation of men entering their peak reproductive years. A study of blood lead levels
among a sample of NASCAR employees shows that up to 40% may have elevated
blood lead levels (O’Neil et al. 2006).
Our group previously reported that paternal occupation as dry cleaner was
associated with a threefold (95% CI 1.0–9.3) increased risk of schizophrenia in
the offspring (Perrin et al. 2007). Tetrachloroethylene, a volatile aromatic halogenated hydrocarbon, has been used as a dry cleaning solvent for several decades. It is
absorbed readily in adipose tissue and the brain is a target organ. It is primarily
excreted through exhalation exposing others to contamination and it is also excreted
in breast milk. In animal studies, intrauterine exposure to tetrachloroethylene has
been reported to reduce postnatal levels of dopamine and acetylcholine (Nelson
et al. 1979), whereas postnatal exposure caused disruption of habituation behaviors
at 60 days (Fredrickson and Richelson 1979). Exposure to tetrachloroethylene in
humans was found to disturb neuronal processing and alter perception of contrast
(Altmann et al. 1990). Reproductive effects of tetrachloroethylene exposure have
been reported to include spontaneous abortions in female workers (Ahlborg 1990;
Doyle et al. 1997; Kyyronen et al. 1989; Windham et al. 1991), reduced sperm
quality in male workers (Eskenazi et al. 1991b), and infertility or prolonged
conception time in their wives (Eskenazi et al. 1991a). As men and women in
occupational settings are likely to be of reproductive age, these types of exposures
become increasingly relevant to the health of their future offspring.
5.8
Conclusion
Breakthrough research in epigenetics has offered new insight into the ways in
which disposition to mental illness is transmitted, the biological nature of the
inherited factors, and the mechanisms by which these genetic factors interact with
environmental determinants. Recent advances in epidemiology have created a new
and more promising context for epigenetic discovery. Prenatal and life course
environmental exposures associated with schizophrenia risk, including later paternal age and prenatal adversity, could act by altering epigenetic information. Epigenetic influences on behavior may extend from the exposures of earlier generations,
to those in the womb and perhaps throughout the life course.
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Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. Susan Harlap and Benjamin Barasch for reviewing this manuscript and providing many insightful comments.
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Chapter 6
Environmental Studies as a Tool for Detecting
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Schizophrenia
Wim Veling, L.H. Lumey, Bas Heijmans, and Ezra Susser
Abstract Epigenetic mechanisms may play an important role in the etiological
pathways of schizophrenia. Since the epigenetic status of the genome partly
depends on environmental factors in pre- and postnatal environments, exposure to
such factors should be taken into account in epigenetic studies of schizophrenia.
Prenatal famine and childhood ethnic minority status have been identified as
environmental risk factors for schizophrenia. These exposures can be used to
investigate epigenetic effects on schizophrenia, since environmental exposure can
be measured with sufficient precision, homogeneously exposed populations are
available for study, and plausible biological pathways have been suggested (albeit
less specific for migration). This chapter shows that epidemiological studies of
famine and migration can help to detect epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia,
by comparing the epigenome of exposed and unexposed schizophrenia cases and
controls. The results of the comparisons will be different depending on the mechanism involved in the interplay between environment and epigenome. If these
epidemiological designs are not applied, the overall result of epigenetic schizophrenia studies may well continue to be inconclusive.
Keywords Environmental risk factors Epidemiology Epigenetics Famine Migration Schizophrenia
W. Veling
Parnassia Center for Early Psychosis, Lijnbaan 4 2512 VA, The Hague, The Netherlands
e-mail: w.veling@parnassia.nl
L.H. Lumey and E. Susser (*)
Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West
168 Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
e-mail: lumey@columbia.edu; ess8@columbia.edu
B. Heijmans
Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333
ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
e-mail: b.t.heijmans@lumc.nl
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6.1
W. Veling et al.
Introduction
There is no doubt that schizophrenia has a strong genetic basis (Sullivan et al.
2003). In the 1990s, hopes that traditional linkage studies could identify major
genes for schizophrenia were ignited by some exceptional findings for other
complex disorders. Perhaps, most notable was the strong association between
APOE genetic alleles and Alzheimer’s disease, which was originally identified
via traditional linkage studies (Kehoe et al. 1999). In the last decade, we have
witnessed enormous progress in the creation of novel methods for associating
variation in genes to risk for complex disorders. The advent of genome-wide
association studies (GWAS), in particular, was a significant development that
fueled new expectations. However, the results obtained from GWAS of schizophrenia have been quite disappointing, as they have been inconsistent and difficult to
interpret (Manolio et al. 2009). A continuously updated online database of genetic
association studies currently lists over 900 different genes and more than 8,000
different polymorphisms that have all been studied in relation to schizophrenia
(Allen et al. 2008). Associations with common alleles generally have small effect
sizes, are difficult to replicate and, thus far, rare genetic variants with larger effects
only explain a small proportion of the heritability of schizophrenia (Manolio et al.
2009). Other research strategies, extending beyond the current GWAS approach,
may therefore be needed. Next generation sequencing-based studies, which include
whole genome sequencing among other approaches, may provide the field of
schizophrenia research with a much-needed advance. Recent reviews have raised
hopes that the “missing heritability” will be revealed by these sophisticated methods (Manolio et al. 2009) – this may be true, to some extent, given the enormous
power they will confer in gene discovery, although the vast number of variants will
make it immensely difficult to identify those which are causal. Another strategy
could involve a reappraisal of (pedigree-based) linkage studies that have sufficient
power to detect the effects of rare variants, that is, the situation of genetic heterogeneity where different mutations in different individuals at the same locus (gene)
contribute to disease. Similar methods have failed in the past, not due to inherently
flawed design, but because the studies were too small and underpowered.
Another development that may advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of schizophrenia has been in the field of epigenetics, which refers to mitotically heritable modifications of DNA that do not involve a change in DNA sequence.
One advantage of epigenetics is its potential to integrate studies of the genetic and
environmental causes of schizophrenia, thereby achieving more powerful designs.
The substantially lower discordance rate of schizophrenia in monozygotic (MZ)
twins compared with dizygotic ones argues for a strong genetic component, and also
allows for a significant role of environmental factors in the development of this
complex disease (Oh and Petronis 2008). In this regard, several risk factors that
implicate preconceptional, prenatal, or early childhood exposures have been consistently related to schizophrenia, including paternal age at conception, early prenatal
famine, urban birth, and migration (especially in early childhood, see later) (Van Os
6 Environmental Studies as a Tool for Detecting Epigenetic Mechanisms
99
and Kapur 2009). While some of these associations are likely to be causal, the
mechanisms by which they are linked to schizophrenia are still largely unknown.
Epigenetic mechanisms may mediate the effects of such risk factors, as the epigenetic status of the genome can be modified in response to the environment during
embryonic growth, and probably also in the early years of life (Heijmans et al. 2009).
Preliminary evidence suggests that epigenetic differences may be related to schizophrenia (Abdolmaleky et al. 2006; Mill et al. 2008), but these epigenetic studies have
not yet included environmental exposures.
To determine the contribution of epigenetic components in the interplay between
genes and environment, we must study populations that have been homogeneously
exposed to well-defined and meticulously measured environmental exposures
(Manolio et al. 2009). In this chapter, we discuss two environmental risk factors
for schizophrenia in the light of epigenetics. We present epidemiological evidence
of a relationship between schizophrenia and prenatal famine and migration. We
then argue that the epidemiological findings are consistent with epigenetic mechanisms, and explore evidence of pathways linking these environmental exposures to
schizophrenia via epigenetic effects. Finally, we propose ways to further test these
hypotheses and argue that this may advance knowledge of both genetic and
environmental causes of schizophrenia.
6.2
6.2.1
Prenatal Famine and Schizophrenia
Epidemiological Findings
Tragic historical events in the Netherlands and China set the stage for investigation of
the effects of famine on schizophrenia and other health outcomes. Three studies have
reported a link between periconceptional or early gestational exposure to starvation
and a risk of schizophrenia in offspring (St Clair et al. 2005; Susser et al. 1996; Xu
et al. 2009). The first of these studies was based on the Dutch Hunger Winter during
World War II. In October 1944, the Nazis blocked food supplies to the Western part
of the country in response to the activities of Dutch resistance groups. The famine
ended abruptly with the liberation of the Netherlands in early May 1945. Early
studies found an increased risk of neural tube defects among individuals who had
been conceived at the height of the famine (Brown and Susser 2008), suggesting that
the early gestational period is an important risk window for neurodevelopmental
insults. This finding supported the plausibility of prenatal famine as a cause of
schizophrenia, since a disturbance in early neurodevelopment has also been implicated in the etiology of this disorder. When the risks for schizophrenia were compared between the birth cohort that had been exposed to prenatal famine and
unexposed cohorts born in surrounding years, it was found that periconceptional or
early gestational, but not later exposure to famine was associated with a relative risk
for schizophrenia of 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–3.4) (Susser et al. 1996).
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Recently, these findings have been replicated in two large studies in China. After
the initiation of the Great Leap Forward in the late 1950s, a massive famine affected
most parts of China. Causes include collectivization of agriculture and reduction of
cultivated land. Estimates of famine-related deaths vary between 15 and 40 million
people, making this one of the deadliest tragedies of the twentieth century. The height
of the famine differed by region, but in Anhui Province, it was most severe from 1959
to 1960, as indicated by extremely high mortality rates and a reduction in birth rates
to one-third of the pre-famine average. A recent study analyzed all in-patient and outpatient psychiatric referrals from 1971 to 2001 to the only psychiatric hospital in the
region. The birth cohorts conceived or in early gestation in 1959 and 1960 had a
twofold increase in risk for schizophrenia in later life, compared to those who were
born before or after the famine (between 1956 and 1958 or between 1963 and 1965)
(St Clair et al. 2005). Similarly, in a third study examining the Guanxi autonomous
region, another part of China, there was a twofold increase in risk for schizophrenia
among those conceived or in early gestation at the height of famine (Xu et al. 2009).
The increased risk was found exclusively in rural areas, where famine conditions
were most severe. This was due to the provision of food from state grain stores to
those living in cities, whereas the rural population was only allowed to retain the
grain that remained after they had delivered the imposed quotas.
6.2.2
The Folate Pathway
The biological pathways linking prenatal famine to schizophrenia are currently
unknown, but there are many potential mechanisms, including micronutrient deficiencies, maternal stress effects on the neuroendocrine system, toxic effects of
maternal ingestion of food substitutes, genetic selection (e.g., genetic differences
between women who can and cannot ovulate and conceive during famine conditions),
and preconceptional damage to paternal spermatogonia (Brown and Susser 2008).
To illustrate how an environmental exposure may have epigenetic effects in
schizophrenia, we introduce the potential mechanism of folate deficiency. It is
important to note that the metabolism and functions of folate are complicated
(Lucock 2000), and that we use only a simplified example of a pathway in which
folate plays a role (Fig. 6.1).
Folate is an important factor in the synthesis and maintenance of DNA, via
synthesis of purines and pyrimidines (Lucock 2000). Folate deficiency can lead to
chromosomal instability and aberrations of DNA repair, thereby increasing rates of
mutation; de novo mutations in multiple genes have been related to schizophrenia
(Stefansson et al. 2008). A second potential pathway through which folate deficiency may be related to schizophrenia is by disruption of epigenetic programming;
folate is involved in the pathway of DNA methylation (Lucock 2000), which
represents one of the major epigenetic processes. Another level of epigenetic
information is the methylation of histones, which may similarly affect this process
(Feinberg 2007). DNA methylation, meaning the addition of a methyl group to the
MTHFR
Polymorphism
Periconceptual
Folate Intake
5,10
MTHFR
Level
Rate of
Methionine
5 MTHF Transformation of
and
Homocysteine
Level
Homocysteine
into Methionine
Levels
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DNA
Methylation
Neurodevelopmental
perturbation
Schizophrenia
Purine/Pyrimidine
Biosynthesis
Fig. 6.1 Pathways that could link prenatal folate deficiency to schizophrenia
nucleotide cytosine, occurs at dinucleotide sites in the DNA where a phosphate
molecule links cytosine (C) and guanine (G). The CpG dinucleotides can be found
throughout the genome, but are highly concentrated in control regions of genes
(CpG islands). Methylation modifies transcriptional access to the DNA and, thus,
may alter gene expression (Feinberg 2007). The main source of methyl groups in
this reaction is methionine, an essential amino acid that is converted from homocysteine to a biologically active methyl donor state. Folate promotes the conversion
to methionine by increasing the level of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase
(MTHFR) that in turn catalyzes the conversion of 5,10-MTHF to 5-MTHF, a
cosubstrate for the homocysteine remethylation to methionine (Lucock 2000).
Theoretically, folate deficiency will lead to a lower level of methionine and,
therefore, to a lower rate of DNA methylation (Duthie et al. 2000).
Again, it should be realized that these pathways might be far more complicated
than described here. This complexity is illustrated by human studies (including one
examining the Dutch famine cohort), which also found associations between low
folate status and higher level of DNA methylation in some genes (Tobi et al. 2009;
Van Engeland et al. 2003). Also, the putative folate-effect may not only represent
damage to the epigenome due to the harsh prenatal environment. It is possible that
epigenetic changes in metabolic pathways following exposure to prenatal famine
are adaptive, occurring either immediately to survive the malnutrition as an embryo/
fetus, or in anticipation of the postnatal environment (Heijmans et al. 2009).
6.2.3
Evidence for Influence of Diet on DNA Methylation
Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated in support of the hypothesis that
differences in availability of folate are associated with lasting differences in DNA
methylation. There may be changes in epigenetic marks throughout an individual’s
lifetime (e.g., aging appears to be related to changes in DNA methylation; Rakyan
et al. 2010), but the epigenome is the most dynamic in early development. Animal
studies have suggested that genome-wide demethylation occurs early in gestation, a
process in which most parental epigenetic marks are erased (Reik et al. 2001), with
remethylation taking place shortly afterwards. The gestational period in which
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epigenetic reprogramming is thought to occur in humans matches the period in
which exposure to famine (and thus folate deficiency) was related to an increased
risk for neural tube defects and schizophrenia in the Dutch study. Epigenetic effects
as a result of folate deficiency may, therefore, be a mechanism that contributes to
the increased risk.
Epigenetic marks are determined by genetic and stochastic factors, but as it turns
out, they are also under the influence of environmental factors, such as diet, during
early development. A series of experiments with agouti viable yellow (Avy) mice
showed that dietary methyl supplements, including folate, in the early gestational
period can produce persistent changes in DNA methylation (Waterland and Jirtle
2003; Wolff et al. 1998). Avy mice have a mutation in the regulatory region of the
agouti allele. Ectopic agouti transcription is initiated from a promoter in the
proximal end of the inserted transposable element. Methylation in this region varies
considerably among individual mice and is correlated inversely with ectopic agouti
expression. This epigenetic variability causes a wide variation in individual coat
color (Wolff et al. 1998). In the offspring of Avy mice that were assigned to a
methyl-rich diet, the agouti gene was methylated to a higher level. This resulted in
silencing of the gene and downregulated the ectopic agouti expression, which in
turn produced a shift in coat color from yellow to brown (Waterland and Jirtle
2003). Since the color differences persisted into adulthood, these findings demonstrated that early life dietary conditions could cause epigenetic changes that are
stable into adulthood.
The Dutch famine study provided a unique opportunity to investigate whether
prenatal exposure to the prevailing famine conditions is associated with persistent
epigenetic differences in humans. Six decades after World War II, individuals who
had been exposed prenatally to famine had less methylation of the imprinted
insulin-like growth factor II gene (IGF2) than their unexposed same-sex siblings
(Heijmans et al. 2008). This association was specific for exposure in early gestation:
the group that was exposed in late pregnancy did not have lower IGF2 methylation
than their unexposed siblings, although they did have a lower mean birth weight. A
subsequent analysis of 15 genes implicated in growth and metabolic diseases, in the
same cohort, found that DNA methylation differences were not restricted to only
the IGF2 gene, or to early gestational exposure to famine; some genes had less
methylation, other genes had a higher degree of methylation in exposed individuals
(Tobi et al. 2009). Methylation differences were sex-specific and some associations
were found only in those exposed during late gestation, thus persistent changes in
DNA methylation may be a common consequence of prenatal exposure to famine.
6.2.4
Epigenetic Effects on Health and the Role of Folate
Persistent alterations in DNA methylation can have a significant influence on health
in animals. This is illustrated by the Avy mice, which not only have a more yellow
coat than mice without ectopic agouti expression, but also have increases in obesity,
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diabetes, and susceptibility to tumors (Miltenberger et al. 1997; Wolff et al. 1998).
However, it should be noted that this is a very specific genetic transposon model
and it cannot be generalized to every DNA sequence or genomic element. Most
evidence of epigenetic effects on disease in humans comes from cancer research.
Tumor development is regulated by the activation of growth-promoting genes
through both global and gene-specific hypomethylation or hypermethylation
(Feinberg 2007). The methylation differences may be an indication of genomic
instability, and also of altered functioning of specific genes that are relevant to
specific diseases, for example, silencing of tumor suppression genes through
hypermethylation (Feinberg 2007). Other examples include rare epigenetic diseases, such as Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome, which is characterized by loss of
normal imprinted gene regulation (DeBaun et al. 2002), resulting in affected
children typically having macrosomia, abdominal birth defects, and an increased
risk of childhood cancer.
The finding that early prenatal exposure to famine was related to neural tube
defects, combined with nonrandomized trials, small randomized trials, and observational epidemiological studies of maternal vitamin supplements and neural tube
defects (Smithells et al. 1980), provided a strong body of evidence that folate
vitamin supplements could reduce the risk of neural tube defects, and prompted
initiation of large-scale randomized trials. Definitive randomized trials in the 1990s
showed that folate supplementation reduced about 80% of the risk for neural tube
defects (Czeizel and Dudás 1992; Group MVSR 1991). These studies also suggested that the critical period for the preventive effect of folate supplementation
actually begins shortly prior to conception and ends at 28 days of gestation, when
the neural tube closes. As a result, from the 1990s onwards, all women who
considered pregnancy were advised to take folate supplementation. Some countries
even introduced mandatory folic acid fortification of flour, since the benefits of
folate supplementation were large, the costs were low and the intervention had no
apparent side effects. With increasing knowledge of the folate pathway and of the
involvement of folate in epigenetic programming, however, concerns were raised
about other potential long-term consequences for child health and development. A
recent study found higher methylation of IGF2 among children whose mother used
folic acid during periconception, indicating that this may indeed lead to epigenetic
changes in humans (Steegers-Theunissen et al. 2009). The children of the mothers
participating in the original randomized trials of folate supplementation have yet to
be investigated, however, some observational studies have found associations
between maternal use of folate supplements and an increased risk of asthma and
atopy in young children (Haberg et al. 2009; Whitrow et al. 2009), while another
study has found an association with decreased risk of childhood behavioral problems and hyperactivity (Schlotz et al. 2009). Conversely, one study did not find a
relationship between periconceptional folate supplements and mental or psychomotor development (Tamura et al. 2005). Most recently, data from a large prospective Norwegian birth cohort study (Magnus et al. 2006) suggest that folate
supplementation is associated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes (results
under review). The studies on folate supplementation should all be regarded as
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preliminary; nevertheless, they do suggest that periconceptional folate supplements
may have consequences for health and neurodevelopment in childhood and later on.
6.2.5
Epigenetic Changes in Schizophrenia
As previously mentioned, epigenetic factors may be related to schizophrenia.
Briefly, studies examining postmortem brain tissue reported several potentially
important associations. Reelin is a protein involved in neuronal migration in the
developing brain, and increased DNA methylation has been found at several
positions in the promoter region of the reelin gene in the occipital and prefrontal
cortex of schizophrenia patients compared with nonpsychiatric controls (Grayson
et al. 2005). A second study, however, showed no detectable DNA methylation at
these sites (Tochigi et al. 2008). Another study reported hypomethylation of the
membrane-bound catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (MB-COMT) promoter in the
frontal lobe of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Abdolmaleky et al.
2006). This may be relevant to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, since COMT
regulates the homeostatic levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the synapses,
and dopamine plays a central role in schizophrenia (Laruelle 2003). Hypomethylation was related to upregulation of MB-COMT (Abdolmaleky et al. 2006), which in
turn increases the dopamine degradation in the frontal cortex. COMT hypomethylation may be causally related to the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, which have been associated with prefrontal hypodopaminergic functioning
(Laruelle 2003). Again, a replication study found no evidence of altered COMT
steady state mRNA or methylation in brains of schizophrenia patients, albeit that
this second study used cerebellum rather than frontal lobe tissue (Dempster et al.
2006). In the first genome-wide epigenomic study, Mill et al. (2008) found a
number of genes exhibiting differences in DNA methylation in the prefrontal cortex
of schizophrenia and bipolar patients vs. healthy controls. The differences included
loci involved in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission and brain
development.
There are many caveats in interpreting these findings (see Box 6.1), but even
when methodological and conceptual problems are solved, epigenetic studies may
continue to yield mixed results when environmental exposures are not taken into
account. Given the substantial environmental influence on the epigenome, the
epigenetic effects in the pathways leading to schizophrenia may depend on environmental exposures in early life. There are at least two possibilities: (a) environmental exposures may shift the epigenetic status in the exposed population, which
results in a higher rate of schizophrenia in that population (Fig. 6.2a) – an example
of this principle is that a shift in distribution of high blood pressure in a population
can lead to an increase of the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in those
individuals (Rose 1985); or (b) epigenetic effects of environmental exposure operate selectively on individuals with genetic predisposition to schizophrenia, i.e.,
nonadditive gene–environment interaction (Fig. 6.2b).
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Box 6.1. Methodological and Technical Difficulties in Epigenetic
Epidemiology
l
Epigenetic marks are cell- and tissue-specific – since the brain cannot be
accessed in live individuals, other tissues must be used for epigenetic
studies of schizophrenia. Epigenetic marks in tissues such as peripheral
blood may not correspond to the epigenome of brain regions.
l
The stability of epigenetic marks over the life course is unknown – in
cross-sectional studies, it is not possible to test whether epigenetic differences are cause or consequence of illness.
l
Interindividual variation in DNA methylation, and the relationships
among methylation, gene expression, and functional consequences are
not completely clear for most genes.
a
b
High risk group
exposed
unexposed
DNA
methylation
Genotype 1
Genotype 2
DNA methylation
Epigenetic effects as a result of shifting distribution
DNA methylation in whole exposed population
Unexposed
Exposed
Epigenetic effects operate specifically on individuals
with genetic predisposition to schizophrenia
Fig. 6.2 Possible environmental influences on epigenetic effects and schizophrenia risk
Epidemiological studies can help to detect epigenetic mechanisms of disease,
with the conditions that measurement of the environmental exposure is precise,
timing of exposure is known, and that a homogeneously exposed population is
available for study (Foley et al. 2009; Oh and Petronis 2008). In addition, it only
makes sense to study causal epigenetic effects mediated by environmental factors if
the correlation between the environmental exposure and genetic predisposition to
schizophrenia is low (Oh and Petronis 2008).
6.2.6
Famine Studies as a Tool for Detecting Epigenetic
Mechanisms in Schizophrenia
The above conditions can be fulfilled in famine studies. We will use the Dutch
famine study for illustration purposes here (Box 6.2). Although the sample size of
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Box 6.2. Is Prenatal Famine a Useful Environmental Exposure for
Epigenetic Studies of Schizophrenia?
The example of the 1944–1945 Dutch famine:
– Precise measure: Daily distributed food rations during famine are known.
Although some families had more access to food for economic or other
reasons, the measures are precise enough to describe changes in average
food intake over time.
– Homogeneous exposure: The total population of a well-circumscribed
geographic area has been exposed to famine, during a well-specified
period. While there was substantial individual variation in food intake,
the large majority of the population suffered from severe food shortage.
– Timing of exposure: Date of birth is an easy measure. It can be used to
estimate timing of conception, though with some imprecision.
– Gene–environment correlation: War-related famine, it is unlikely that
prenatal exposure was strongly influenced by (parental) schizophrenia
genes.
– Plausible biological/genetic pathways: These are identified; folate-related
one-carbon pathway, MTHFR gene, IGF2 gene.
the actual study is too small to investigate epigenetic effects in schizophrenia, there
is a great potential for follow-up studies of famine exposure in China, where several
hundreds of prenatally exposed schizophrenia cases have been identified (St Clair
et al. 2005).
During the World War II famine in the Netherlands, the total population of the
larger cities in the western part of the country was exposed to severe food shortages.
We know exactly that the height of the famine was from January through April
1945, and that it ended immediately after liberation on 5th May 1945. We know that
the daily distributed food ration was less than 500 calories/day at the height of the
famine, and we have detailed population data, in addition to detailed information of
adult health outcomes, including schizophrenia (Brown and Susser 2008). It is
unlikely that a strong correlation exists between (parental) schizophrenia genes
and prenatal exposure to famine, because the famine was war-related, unpredicted,
and largely inescapable.
In this context, a powerful study design would be to combine the environmental
information with epigenetic measures. In a case-control study, DNA methylation
should be measured in at least four groups (a) exposed cases – individuals with
schizophrenia from the birth cohort conceived during the height of the famine, (b)
unexposed cases – individuals with schizophrenia from surrounding birth cohorts,
(c) exposed random controls, and (d) unexposed random controls.
Global DNA methylation may be used as an indicator of genomic stability, but
hypotheses of gene-specific methylation differences can be tested as well. Methylation loss of the imprinted IGF2 gene is an interesting candidate, because this
epigenetic effect has already been found in individuals exposed to the Dutch
107
famine in early gestation (Heijmans et al. 2008), and the gene is involved in
(brain) growth and development. We have to keep in mind that epigenetic marks
are tissue-specific, and therefore, the best option would be to study brain tissue,
but this cannot be sampled during life. There is some evidence, however, that
DNA methylation measured in blood may be a marker for less accessible tissues
that are directly involved in disease (Talens et al. 2010). Epigenetic changes
in brain tissue are also often found in peripheral cells, but this issue has yet to
be resolved.
If epigenetic effects of famine on schizophrenia operate through a shift in
distribution of DNA methylation profiles in the total exposed population
(Fig. 6.2a), we may find differences in DNA methylation between exposed and
unexposed controls (reflecting the shift in distribution), but no differences between
exposed and unexposed cases (there will be more exposed than unexposed cases,
but in both groups, most cases are found in the high risk end of the distribution).
On the other hand, if epigenetic effects of famine on schizophrenia depend on a
specific pre-existing genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia (Fig. 6.2b), we would
find a different pattern of results. For example, we may find no differences in DNA
methylation between exposed and unexposed controls, but instead find differences
between exposed and unexposed cases.
These are two basic illustrations of how epidemiological models can be used and
how different models may predict different results. We want to emphasize that
many other models can be envisioned, such as a model that accounts for the
interplay between the postnatal environment and the epigenome. An example of
the latter is discussed in the next section. Nevertheless, the prenatal famine example
clearly demonstrates that adding environmental exposure to an epigenetic study
may increase the chances of detecting epigenetic effects and understanding the
epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia. If information about famine exposure
status is not considered, the overall result may be inconclusive or not confirmed
in replication studies.
6.3
6.3.1
Migration/Childhood Ethnic Minority Status
Epidemiological Findings
Associations between the incidence of schizophrenia and international migration
have been reported for nearly 80 years. In the early 1930s, Ødegaard (1932) found
that Norwegian immigrants in the USA were admitted to a psychiatric hospital for
schizophrenia twice as often as native-born Americans or Norwegians in Norway.
Observations of higher schizophrenia rates among immigrants were also reported in
the 1950s and 1960s in the USA and the UK (Hemsi 1967; Malzberg 1955). These
studies had considerable methodological limitations, but later investigations in the
UK, using prospective case finding within defined catchment areas, standardized
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assessments and diagnostic criteria of psychopathology, and more accurate census
data, replicated the findings of an increased risk for schizophrenia in immigrant
populations (Harrison et al. 1997; King et al. 1994). In the last decade, the large
AESOP incidence study, conducted in London, Nottingham, and Bristol, found
strikingly increased rates of schizophrenia in African Caribbeans (Incidence Rate
Ratio [IRR] ¼ 9.1; 95% CI 6.6–12.6) and Black Africans (IRR ¼ 5.8; 95% CI
3.9–8.4) compared with the white British population, and modestly increased rates
in Asian and other immigrants (Fearon et al. 2006). The rates of schizophrenia were
significantly increased in second-generation immigrants in London as well (Coid
et al. 2008).
The association between migration and schizophrenia has also been studied
extensively in the Netherlands. Selten reported significantly higher first-admission
rates for schizophrenia in immigrants from Surinam, the Netherlands Antilles, and
Morocco in the 1990s (Selten and Sijben 1994; Selten et al. 1997). Subsequently, a
prospective first-contact incidence study of psychotic disorders found an increased
risk for schizophrenia in Surinamese and Moroccan immigrants, both in the first and
second generation (Selten et al. 2001; Veling et al. 2006). The risk was particularly
high for Moroccan males (first generation: IRR ¼ 4.0; 95% CI 2.5–6.3 and second
generation: IRR ¼ 5.8; 95% CI 2.9–11.4) and was not significantly increased for
Turkish immigrants or immigrants from Western countries (Veling et al. 2006).
Taken together, the incidence of schizophrenia is increased in different immigrant groups in several countries around the world. The degree to which rates are
increased varies considerably with ethnic group and country, but the increased risk
pertains to second-generation immigrants. A meta-analysis of all migrant incidence
studies of schizophrenia up to 2003 estimated the mean relative risks of 2.7 and 4.5
for first- and second-generation immigrants, respectively, compared with native
populations (Cantor-Graae and Selten 2005). Several potential explanations have
been proposed for the migrant findings. We cannot review these here due to space
restrictions (see Cantor-Graae and Selten 2005 for a full discussion), but it is
necessary to discuss whether migration can be treated as an environmental risk
factor in epigenetic studies of schizophrenia (Box 6.3).
Gene–environment correlation is conceivable, as individuals with genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may be more likely to migrate. No studies in the UK
directly addressed selective migration. A population register study in Denmark,
however, found an increased risk among immigrants who migrated as a child and,
thus, did not make the decision to migrate themselves (Cantor-Graae et al. 2003). In
the Netherlands, we recently completed an analysis of age at migration in The
Hague incidence study. The results are still under review, but show that the risk for
schizophrenia among immigrants is still increased when only those immigrants who
migrated before the age of 15 were included.
When age at migration data are available, the relevant timing of exposure can be
determined precisely. Our age at migration analyses show that the risk for schizophrenia is particularly high for immigrants who migrated in early childhood (between
age 0 and 4) and decreases with older age at migration. In combination with the
replicated finding of an increased risk among second-generation immigrants (Coid
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Box 6.3. Is Migration a Useful Environmental Exposure for Epigenetic
Studies of Schizophrenia?
– Precise measure: History of international migration.
– Homogeneous exposure: First-generation immigrants have all been
exposed to migration; the exposure can be considered homogeneous
when one country of origin and one country of arrival are studied.
– Timing of exposure: Age at migration, easy, and reliable measure.
– Gene–environment correlation: Selective migration is unlikely, because
the risk for schizophrenia is also increased among immigrants who
migrated in childhood.
– Biological/genetic pathways: These have not yet been established;
hypotheses include sensitization of the mesolimbic dopamine system,
and increased inflammatory set-point as a result of stress in early life.
et al. 2008; Veling et al. 2006), the results strongly suggest that not the event of
migration itself, but the context of living in an ethnic minority position in early
childhood may be the actual environmental exposure influencing risk for psychosis in
adulthood.
Several studies in the UK and the Netherlands have found that a disadvantaged
ethnic minority position, characterized by low social status, high degree of discrimination against the group, and low proportion of others from one’s own ethnic group
in the neighborhood (low ethnic density), may lead to an increased risk of psychotic
disorders (Veling 2008). This is particularly the case when social resources are
insufficient to buffer the impact of the adverse social experiences (compromised
family structures, restricted social networks, low access to social capital, and low
social cohesion of ethnic group) (Veling 2008). It should be noted that most of these
studies investigated the social context at illness onset; however, unpublished data
from a US birth cohort study also suggests that low ethnic density at birth increases
the risk for adult schizophrenia among ethnic minorities (Dana March, personal
communication).
6.3.2
Epigenetic Changes in Postnatal Life
Prenatal folate deficiency can influence epigenetic marks in DNA, such changes
may persist into adulthood and may influence health, including neurodevelopmental outcomes. One further step could be to test the association between exposure to
famine- and folate-related epigenetic changes in schizophrenia. In the case of
migration, however, there are fewer hypotheses of potential pathways and less
evidence supporting biological mechanisms. Can we make an argument that epigenetic factors may be involved?
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W. Veling et al.
There are two apparent differences, in this respect, between exposure to migration
and to famine. First, the epidemiological evidence of migration suggests that early
childhood is an important etiological period and, if the effect of migration on
schizophrenia is mediated by epigenetic effects, persistent changes in the epigenome
should be possible in childhood. This is at least conceivable, as gestation in rats does
not equal gestation in humans; brain development in humans takes longer and is still
very rapid in the early years of life. Also, the timing of epigenetic programming may
be related to tissue differentiation and development, and may occur at a later stage in
some tissues (Heijmans et al. 2009). Second, it appears that social context shapes the
increased risk among ethnic minorities, rather than dietary conditions. Social experiences should therefore be translated into epigenetic consequences.
Recently, a series of experiments with maternal behavior in rats have suggested
that both requirements may be met. Offspring of “high care” mothers are less fearful
and show a more modest physiological stress response than offspring of “low care”
mothers (Caldji et al. 1998), but biological offspring of “low care” mothers reared
by “high care” mothers (cross-fostering) resemble the normal offspring of the “high
care” mothers (Francis et al. 1999). These findings suggest a persistent effect of
maternal behavior on stress reactivity in offspring that is not associated with DNA
sequence. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) may be involved, because GR gene
expression is related to stress reactivity and was increased in the offspring of “high
care” mothers (Francis et al. 1999). As gene expression is controlled by the
epigenome, Meaney and colleagues investigated whether maternal care alters the
methylation of the promoter region of the GR gene in rats (Weaver et al. 2004). They
found de novo differences in methylation of the NGFI-A consensus sequence on the
exon 17 promoter in hippocampal cells between offspring of low care and high care
mothers (Weaver et al. 2004). These differences were absent at birth, but emerged
over the first week of life and persisted into adulthood. The impact of maternal care
on DNA methylation was reversible in adult postmitotic brain cells, as differences in
DNA methylation were removed after central infusion of a histone deacetylase
(HDAC) inhibitor (Weaver et al. 2004). In another experiment, both methylation
pattern and behavioral response to stress normalized after methionine treatment in
adult offspring of “low care” mothers (Weaver et al. 2005).
Animal studies also suggest that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the
formation of long-term memory in the hippocampus. Neurons of rats subjected to a
conditioned fear paradigm (in which they learn to associate a novel context with an
aversive stimulus) showed increased acetylation of histone H3 (Levenson et al.
2004). DNA methylation was also found to regulate synaptic plasticity and memory
in adult animals, while fear conditioning was associated with rapid methylation of
the memory suppressor gene protein, phosphatase 1, and demethylation of the
reelin gene (Miller et al. 2008; Sweatt 2009).
These results suggest that epigenetic regulation of genes may be a much more
dynamic process than previously believed. Environmental influences on the epigenome might not be restricted to prenatal life – early social experiences, such as
maternal care, may cause epigenetic differences with adult phenotypic consequences. Also, despite the inherent stability of epigenomic marks established in
111
early life, they may be potentially reversible in the adult brain. Moreover, epigenetic
processes may be involved in normal brain responses to environmental stimuli.
It should be noted, however, that it is uncertain how these rat models apply to
human physiology and psychology. We do not know whether social experiences
affect epigenetic programming in humans. It is also unclear whether significant
epigenetic changes due to environmental exposures occur throughout life or are
limited to critical points perinatally and perhaps in early life (Szyf et al. 2008).
Still, there is some evidence of changes in epigenetic patterns over the life course:
one report suggests that monozygotic twins may show increasingly different global
DNA methylation profiles at older ages (Fraga et al. 2005), and a recent study of
normal human aging identified aging-associated differentially methylated regions in
different tissues (Rakyan et al. 2010). These changes may reflect not only the genetic
control, but also the influence of environmental exposures over the life course. One
recent study examining epigenetic regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene
(GR) in the human brain suggests that the maternal care results in rats may be relevant
to humans. Suicide victims with a history of childhood abuse were found to have
decreased levels of GR mRNA, as well as mRNA transcripts bearing the GR 1F splice
variant and an increase in cytosine methylation of the NR3C1 promoter, compared to
either suicide victims with no childhood abuse or controls (McGowan et al. 2009).
These issues have not been resolved as of yet, and epidemiological studies are
needed to clarify the role of epigenetics over the life course. Migration studies can
help to test whether social experiences of early life adversity can have long-term
effects on epigenetic processes in humans, and whether and how these may increase
the risk of schizophrenia.
6.3.3
Ethnic Minority Status and Potential Epigenetic Effects
As previously discussed, the high rates of schizophrenia among ethnic minorities
are difficult to explain outside of the context of social factors. More specifically,
having an ethnic minority status in early childhood is related to an increased risk.
Few biological hypotheses have been proposed to explain these findings, and none
have been tested in humans. We use two examples to illustrate potential epigenetic
pathways.
Social defeat has been used as a paradigm to relate epidemiological findings to
potential neurobiological mechanisms. Selten and Cantor-Graae (2007) proposed
that childhood ethnic minority status represents the long-term experience of social
defeat, defined as a subordinate position or as “outsider status.” In rodents, chronic
exposure to social defeat (carried out by placing an experimental mouse in the home
cage of a different aggressive mouse repeatedly for several days) has been associated with dopaminergic hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic system (Tidey and
Miczek 1996), in particular, when the experimental animals were socially isolated
after defeat (Isovich et al. 2001). Heightened dopaminergic transmission is likely to
play a central role in schizophrenia. Several studies demonstrated that drug naı̈ve
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W. Veling et al.
schizophrenia patients have an increase in mesolimbic dopamine release after acute
amphetamine challenge (Laruelle 2003), suggesting an abnormal responsiveness of
dopaminergic neurons. Among other factors, the neurotrophic factor brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be a key regulator of the mesolimbic dopamine
pathway (Berton et al. 2006). In an animal study, knockdown of Bdnf in the nucleus
accumbens (NAc) removed most of the effects of repeated social defeat on gene
expression within this circuit (Berton et al. 2006). Another study reported that
chronic social defeat stress significantly downregulated mRNA levels of HDAC 5
in the NAc (Renthal et al. 2007). This suggests epigenetic control of the response to
social defeat, as this HDAC enzyme is capable of repressing BDNF, as well as the
expression of many other genes (Tsankova et al. 2006).
The second example involves immunological pathways. The hypothesis that
chronic inflammation may be a basic biological mechanism of schizophrenia has a
long history (Smith 1992). Recent studies of the proinflammatory state of circulating monocytes in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have reported
increased mRNA levels of inflammatory genes (Drexhage et al. 2010; Padmos et al.
2008). The aberrant gene-expression profile was also found in children of bipolar
patients (Padmos et al. 2008), and a subsequent twin study suggested that nearly all
the variation in proinflammatory gene expression was due to environmental factors
(Padmos et al. 2009). There are a multitude of factors that can influence proinflammatory monocyte activation, one of which is exposure to stress in early life
(Padmos et al. 2009). Growing up in a low ethnic density context, which is related
to increased risk for schizophrenia among ethnic minorities (Veling et al. 2008), is
likely to be associated with disturbing experiences and social stress – stress is often
implicated in etiological models of schizophrenia (Walker and Diforio 1997).
Consistent with this hypothesis, human studies have found that individuals who
are genetically vulnerable to psychosis are also more sensitive to daily life stress
than healthy controls (Myin-Germeys et al. 2001, 2005). In addition, early childhood trauma has been linked to an increased risk for adult psychosis (Read et al.
2005), and there is preliminary evidence that early trauma may have persistent
epigenetic effects on stress reactivity (McGowan et al. 2009). Overall, the maternal
care experiments in rats discussed earlier suggest the possibility of epigenetic
regulation of stress reactivity (Weaver et al. 2004), and evidence in humans
supports that there is an inherent plausibility that different, disturbing experiences
in early childhood could have epigenetic effects. In summation, the epigenetic
modifications induced by early life stress exposure may mediate the effect of
childhood ethnic minority status on schizophrenia.
6.3.4
Migration Studies as a Tool for Detecting Epigenetic
Mechanisms in Schizophrenia
Migration studies provide opportunities to investigate potential epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia. To enhance the power of the study design and to increase the
113
homogeneity of the exposure, we should study a single ethnic minority group,
preferably the group with the highest effect of migration on risk for schizophrenia,
i.e., African Caribbeans in the UK or Moroccans in the Netherlands.
The first question to address is whether early postnatal social experiences can
influence the epigenome in humans. That is are persistent epigenetic changes
associated with early postnatal exposure to the social experience of ethnic minority
status? To test this concept, we could assess peripheral blood samples and compare
the epigenome of exposed ethnic minority individuals (who arrived in the Netherlands before age 5 or were born in the Netherlands as second generation) with that
of unexposed individuals (ethnic minorities who arrived as adults or are native
Dutch). Again, an important caveat is that it is uncertain how epigenetic marks in
peripheral blood correspond to the epigenome of the brain tissues relevant to
schizophrenia. Epigenetic changes occurring later in life in one tissue will not
necessarily be visible in another tissue, whereas epigenetic changes induced early
in development may be more likely to be propagated throughout the body because
the epigenetic marks are partially stable in somatic cells (Heijmans et al. 2009).
The second question is whether: epigenetic changes mediate the effect of ethnic
minority status on the risk for schizophrenia. As explained in the famine example,
epigenetic effects of childhood ethnic minority status may shift the whole distribution of epigenetic changes in the ethnic minority population (Fig. 6.2a), or they may
operate selectively on individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia
(Fig. 6.2b). If epigenetic effects operate through a shift in distribution of DNA
methylation, we would find differences in DNA methylation between exposed and
unexposed controls (reflecting the shift in distribution), but no differences between
exposed and unexposed cases (there will be more exposed than unexposed cases,
but in both groups, most cases are found in the high risk end of the distribution).
However, if epigenetic effects of childhood ethnic minority status depend on
specific pre-existing genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia (Fig. 6.2a), we may
find differences in DNA methylation between exposed cases and exposed controls,
but no significant epigenetic differences between unexposed cases and unexposed
controls.
6.4
Conclusion
Epigenetic mechanisms may play an important role in the etiological pathways of
schizophrenia. Since the epigenetic status of the genome partly depends on environmental factors in pre- and postnatal environments, exposure to such factors
should be taken into account in epigenetic studies of schizophrenia. Prenatal famine
and childhood ethnic minority status have been identified as environmental risk
factors for schizophrenia. These exposures can be used to investigate epigenetic
effects on schizophrenia, since environmental exposure can be measured with
sufficient precision, homogeneously exposed populations are available for study,
and plausible biological pathways have been suggested (albeit less specific for
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migration). We have shown that epidemiological studies of famine and migration
can help to detect epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia, by comparing the
epigenome of exposed and unexposed schizophrenia cases and controls. Since
epigenetic marks are tissue-specific, especially when they occur later in life,
experimenters should carefully consider the choice of tissues to be used in these
studies. The results of the comparisons will be different depending on the mechanism involved in the interplay between environment and epigenome. If these
epidemiological designs are not applied, the overall result of epigenetic schizophrenia studies may well continue to be inconclusive. Thus, the examples of
prenatal famine and childhood ethnic minority status clearly demonstrate that it
is important to add an environmental exposure aspect to epigenetic studies of
schizophrenia.
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neighborhoods and incidence of psychotic disorders among immigrants. Am J Psychiatry
165:66–73
Walker EF, Diforio D (1997) Schizophrenia: a neural diathesis-stress model. Psychol Rev
104:667–685
Waterland RA, Jirtle RL (2003) Transposable elements: targets for early nutritional effects on
epigenetic gene regulation. Mol Cell Biol 23:5293–5300
Meany MJ (2004) Epigenetic programming by maternal behavior. Nat Neurosci 7:847–854
Weaver IC, Champagne FA, Brown SE, Dymov S, Sharma S, Meany MJ, Szyf M (2005) Reversal
of maternal programming of stress responses in adult offspring through methyl supplementation: altering epigenetic marking later in life. J Neurosci 25:11045–11054
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Xu MQ, Sun WS, Liu BQ, Feng BY, Yu L, Yang L, He G, Sham P, Susser E, St Clair D, He L
(2009) Prenatal malnutrition and adult schizophrenia: further evidence from the 1959–1961
Chinese famine. Schizophr Bull 35:568–576
Chapter 7
Imprinting, Inactivation and the Behavioural
Genetics of the X Chromosome
Ian W. Craig
Abstract The X chromosome presents some unique features in the context of DNA
modifications including methylation and histone deposition. In some ways, the
patterns of epigenetic changes during the life cycle of the X chromosome resemble
those affecting autosomal loci in parent-of-origin effects. Similarly, chromatin
changes to the X chromosome of somatic cells may occur in response to the impact
of external environmental factors. In addition to any imprinting, the X chromosome
of placental mammals has the distinction of random inactivation in diploid females.
The focus of this chapter is to examine what consequences these X-chromosomal
modifications may have for human phenotypes and in particular that of behaviour.
It is of particular interest in this context that, of the few loci escaping inactivation
and expressed at higher levels in females, several are notable for their involvement
in chromatin remodelling.
Keywords Behaviour Chromatin remodelling Histone modification Twin
studies X-inactivation
7.1
X Chromosome Imprinting and Inactivation Cycle
As reviewed elsewhere in this volume, one of the most easily studied aspects of
epigenetic modification is that of methylation of the cytosine residue at CpG
dinucleotides. Studies in mice indicate that, at fertilisation, about 20% of CpG
sites are methylated. At the blastocyst stage, there is a dramatic removal of most
of these (although it is supposed that a number of key methylated cytosine marks
may be maintained) to be later followed by waves of de novo methylation at
the trophoblast stage – with somatic and germ cell lineages subsequently achieving
different overall levels of about 60 and 30%, respectively (Reik et al. 2001;
I.W. Craig
SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, PO Box 82, Denmark Hill,
London SE5 8AF, UK
e-mail: ian.craig@kcl.ac.uk
119
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I.W. Craig
Jaenisch and Bird 2003). Following fertilisation, there are significant differences in
the mechanisms involved in the demethylation of maternal and paternal genomes.
Whereas the chromatin of paternal chromosomes is reprogrammed before replication by an active process, which involves the replacement of protamines by acetylated histones and extensive demethylation, loss of methylation from the maternal
genome is replication dependent (Reik et al. 2001).
Against this genomic background, subsequent epigenetic modification of the X
chromosome also follows different pathways depending on the parent of origin. The
paternal X (Xp) arrives in the zygote in a pre-inactivated state because, during the
meiotic process in spermatogenesis, its regions that do not pair with homologous
regions on the Y undergo inactivation in a process that appears to differ mechanistically from that seen in the differentiating embryo and which does not involve the Xist
locus (see below). Furthermore, it seems that following meiotic inactivation in males,
some regions of the X are reactivated in spermatids enabling many multi-copy genes,
including some encoding testes-specific transcripts, to be expressed. Following
fertilisation, preferential inactivation of Xp is followed by its reactivation and the
subsequent random inactivation of maternally and paternally inherited X chromosomes. Unlike spermatogenic meiotic inactivation, the pathway of preferential
paternal X-inactivation that follows fertilisation appears to require de novo Xist
expression (Mueller et al. 2008).
7.1.1
The Role of XIST in X Chromosome Epigenetic
Modification
Initiation of random X-inactivation, which is the norm for somatic tissues of eutherian
mammals, requires both that the number of X chromosomes relative to autosomes be
counted and that a random choice made as to which of two Xs in a diploid chromosome set is inactivated (Heard and Disteche 2006). The locus controlling this process
is referred to as the inactivation centre (XIC). This region (located at Xp13.2 in
humans) contains several elements and regulatory sequences. Much of what is
known concerning X-inactivation in eutherian mammals is based on studies in mice
with some support from parallel investigations in humans. Although there are some
differences in precise mechanism, it is recognised that one common aspect of
epigenetic modification is the role of the product of the XIST locus (referred to as
Xist in mice) located within the X-inactivation centre (XIC – Xic in mice). XIST is
responsible for the production of the non-translated RNA that coats and interacts with
the chromosome and which signals the first stage of inactivation (Ng et al. 2007). This
precedes histone modifications and the extensive methylation of CpG dinucleotides
that together are responsible for the relatively stable subsequent silencing of a
majority of the X chromosome’s transcriptional activity.
In mice, at the first examinable stages following fertilisation, both paternal and
maternal X chromosomes appear to be active and both Xic sites switched off
7 Imprinting, Inactivation and the Behavioural Genetics of the X Chromosome
121
(Okamoto and Heard 2006); however, there persists some epigenetic mark on the
paternal X predisposing subsequent preferential Xist-linked inactivation. Such
imprinting-linked inactivation of the paternal X persists in all tissues of marsupials
and in the extra-embryonic membranes of some eutherians including mice and to a
limited degree in human trophoblasts. The paternal X-inactivation is well established by the blastocyst stage and some studies suggest its onset as early as the
eight-cell stage (Heard and Disteche 2006). This Xp-specific inactivation is generally accompanied by similar chromatin changes to those seen in regular inactivation
observed in cellular differentiation, although CpG methylation of gene promoters
does not feature. Murine paternal X-inactivation is consolidated in trophoectoderm;
however, in the embryo proper (inner cell mass), the inactive Xp become reactivated during blastocyst differentiation, coincident with a general erasure of epigenetic marks throughout the genome at this point. This, thereby, sets the stage for the
process of random inactivation of paternal and maternal chromosomes – mediated
by a counting process that results in the inactivation of N 1 X chromosomes,
where N is the total number of Xs. Hence in XXX individuals only a single one
remains active. The condensed (and hence inactive X) chromosome in females was
first described by Barr and Bertram (1949) and as a result has subsequently been
referred to as a Barr body. Although some details differ, specifically with respect to
a key role in mice for an antisense transcript to Xist (Tsix), overall murine and
human patterns appear to be similar.
7.2
Skewing of X Chromosome Inactivation
Broadly speaking, X-inactivation enables males and females to achieve parity in gene
expression; however, as a result of the contribution of genes that escape inactivation,
potentially important consequences arise for sex differences in behaviour. Additional
complications may arise as a result of skewing in the inactivation process. It is of
interest that, although it might be anticipated that random inactivation in somatic
tissues should result in a 50:50 distribution between cells having an active paternal
X (Xpa) and those having an active maternal X (Xma), quite significant differences in
inactivation ratios are observed in practice. These can result from a variety of genetic
and stochastic processes. For example, although inactivation in differentiating cells is
generally independent of parental origin, in mice, different strains carry X-inactivation
centres of differing “strengths” so that in inter-strain crosses the X from one strain may
preferentially remain active. This is thought to be controlled by a locus-controlling
variation and which is coincident with a regulator of Tsix, the locus encoding an
antisense transcript to Xist (Ogawa and Lee 2003; Boumil et al. 2006). There is also
evidence in humans that, in a possibly analogous manner, skewed X-chromosome
inactivation segregates in some pedigrees in a manner consistent with mutations
affecting the XIST locus (Plenge et al. 1997). In other cases, extremely skewed
inactivation patterns may arise from X-chromosomal mutations that may result in
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I.W. Craig
1
2
22
Der (22)
X
Der (X)
Fig. 7.1 Chromosome ideograms illustrating an X:autosome translocation (in this case X;22) and
the consequences arising from inactivation. If the normal (non-rearranged) X is inactivated, any
gene that would normally be expressed, but which crosses the breakpoint, will be rendered nonfunctional and consequently, the cell will lack any product from either X-locus. If the rearranged
(der X) is inactivated, two consequences arise. Firstly, the inactivation spread from the XIST locus
may penetrate into the portion of chromosome 22 attached. Secondly, the distal part of the X short
arm will fail to be inactivated. The latter result particularly is likely to have cell-lethal consequences leaving only the cells with an inactive normal X to survive and hence the female
translocation carrier will manifest any pathological symptoms associated with the lack of product
from any gene situated across the breakpoint. In the case illustrated, the translocation carrier would
exhibit Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as the DMD gene is located at Xp21.2. Ideograms drawn
using http://www.cydas.org/OnlineAnalysis/ (Hiller B, Bradtke J, Balz H and Rieder H, 2004)
selection against cells carrying the defective X (Heard et al. 1997). X chromosome
translocations also often result in selective cell death as a result of isolation of
X-chromosomal regions from the inactivation centre, which can result in diploid
expression of normally inactivated X-linked genes, as is the case in girls with X
autosomal translocations. Surviving cells will have an inactive normal X and will lack
expression of any gene crossing the breakpoint on the derived X chromosome with
potentially pathological consequences (Fig. 7.1). Finally, skewing may simply result
from stochastic processes, particularly if tissues develop from relatively few cells and
the number of stem cells existing at the various stages will affect any skewing
observed. This process is generally thought to underpin most of the deviations from
a 50:50 distribution of inactive Xp and Xm observed. Indeed, skewing in favour of the
activity of one or other of the X chromosomes is relatively common in adults, with
about 35% of individuals showing > 70:30 skewed in either direction and with severe
skewing (ratios > 90:1) seen in 7% of women under 25 and in 16% of women over 60
(Sharp et al. 2000; Amos-Landgraf et al. 2006), probably as a result of random events
occurring on a small number of progenitor cells.
123
The X chromosome skewing resulting from X mutations and translocations can
have very significant phenotypic consequences. Skewed inactivation in the absence
of obvious chromosomal aberrations can also cause profound phenotypic differences even between otherwise genetically identical individuals, most convincingly
evidenced by monozygous (MZ) girl twin pairs discordant for the expression of
haemophilia, fragile X mental retardation and Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(Tiberio 1994; Brown and Robinson 2000). The significance of skewed inactivation
leading to the identification of X-linked quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting
behaviour through twin studies is discussed later.
7.3
Chromatin Modifications Associated
with the Inactive X Chromosome
In general, active regions of chromosomes are packed in a loose structure (euchromatin) that contains a high proportion of histone H3 and H4 molecules with
acetylated lysine residues at their N-terminal tails and, where present, active
genes are characterised by unmethylated CpG islands; furthermore, the promoter
regions of active genes are frequently marked by methylation of lysine-4 of histone
H3 (H3-K4). In contrast, heterochromatic regions reflect an inactive status and, in
addition to the methylation of CpG islands, are typically enriched in methylated
lysine residue 9 at the terminus of histone 3 (H3K9me), a modification that is
observed from early stages of X-inactivation (Heard et al. 2001). The categorisation into either euchromatic or heterochromatic state, however, does not depend
solely on a particular epigenetic mark, but on the collective influence of many
different modifications. The inactivation of the X chromosome in differentiating
cells can be separated into two distinct stages. The first involves the initiation and
primary steps in which XIST RNA plays a key role, although this may be dependent
on the particular cellular context (Sengupta et al. 2008). The complete manifestation of inactivation requires a regulated multi-layering of chromatin modifications.
Transition from initiation to maintenance phase appears to involve the polycomb
group proteins – known for their activity in repression of the Hox genes and which
are implicated in the control of body patterns and cell differentiation. Other
chromatin and nuclear architectural proteins are recruited to enforce the inactivation status; these include scaffold attachment factors, the trithorax group protein
Ash2l and the histone variant macro-H2A2.1 (Pullirsch et al. 2010). As in other
chromatin silencing, X-inactivation is typically characterised by additional
changes in histone methylation, histone deacetylation and DNA methylation.
Once stable inactivation is established, the X chromatin can be divorced from its
cis-acting inactivation centre and its epigenetic downregulation will persist in its
complete absence.
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7.4
I.W. Craig
The Spread of X-Inactivation and the Role
of LINE Elements
It has long been recognised that the spread of inactivation and the epigenetic marks
that accompany it do not penetrate far into the autosomal sequences adjacent to the
X chromosome in X/A translocations and it has been therefore surmised that
changes in the pattern of genomic features may be responsible for the lack of
transmission. Mary Lyon (1998) suggested that LINE-1 motifs may be the key
elements forming the way-stations that had been proposed to exist along the
spreading inactivation path (Gartler and Riggs 1983). The LINE-1 hypothesis is
circumstantially supported by their approximately twofold higher density on the
X chromosome sequence (29%) compared to only 17% for autosomes and their
relative dearth around loci for which evidence exists that they escape the inactivation process. LINE-1 motifs are particularly enriched around the inactivation centre
as predicted for agents instrumental in propagating the inactivation process (Ross
et al. 2005). Further support for the model comes from studies on an X/4 translocation in a female mouse embryonic stem cell line, T37H. Popova et al. (2006)
demonstrated that the ingress of inactivation into chromosome 4 material, as
evidenced from the spreading of Xist RNA and histone hypoacetylation, from the
Xic locus was correlated with its encounter with an extensive 20 Mb region depleted
in Line-1 sequences located close to the translocation breakpoint. Other features
may also control the spread of inactivation; for example, studies on genes believed
to escape inactivation revealed that their 50 ends were protected by CTCF insulator
elements (Filippova et al. 2005).
7.5
Patterns of Inactivation and Loci Which Escape
In the foregoing account, it has been assumed that genes on the inactive X are not
expressed, apart from regions of X/Y homology that include both pseudoautosomal
regions and some scattered isolated regions mostly found on the X short arm in
humans. Obviously, transcripts from any loci that escape inactivation and which do
not have expressed Y homologues may be expected to be found at relatively higher
concentration in females than males and potentially contribute to sex differences in
phenotypes including behaviour (Craig et al. 2004a). Because of this, there has been
considerable interest in establishing the number and nature of any such escapee
genes.
A variety of strategies have been employed to track the potential expression and
hence the inactivation status of specific loci on paternal and maternal X chromosomes and resulted in widely differing conclusions. Early studies were based
on animals and human individuals heterozygous for the X-linked enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), which was taken as a representative
marker for the inactivation status of the entire X. Heterozygotes were chosen to
125
have electrophoretically distinguishable allelic variants. If both alleles are active in
cells or tissues, an intermediate hybrid dimeric band appears following electrophoresis of the enzyme resulting in a three-banded pattern. In contrast, single cells or
clonal cell lines with Xp or Xm exclusively active exhibit a single band, and tissues
with a mixture of both cell types will exhibit two bands with no intermediate form.
The presence of a hybrid-band pattern in post-meiotic germ cells in both humans
and mice constituted evidence for X-chromosome reactivation during female germline development (Gartler and Riggs 1983). This inactivation assay was later
employed in studies leading to the first strong evidence that at least one human
X-linked gene (steroid sulphatase, STS) escapes partially from inactivation (Gartler
and Riggs 1983). Since this time, a variety of other approaches has been employed
to monitor the inactivation status of X-linked genes and to assess the degree of
skewing, thereby enabling an investigation of the relationship between CpG island
methylation, transcription and mono-allelic expression. Many methods employed
to monitor inactivation patterns have been based on the epigenetic methylation of
CpG islands associated with genes on the inactive X. This results in resistance to
digestion by one of the isoschizomer pairs of restriction enzymes, for example MspI
and HpaII, both of which cleave at CCGG sites; however, digestion with HpaII but
not MspI is inhibited by methylation of the internal cytosine. The size of products
from PCR amplification across the non-digested template of heterozygous females
can then be distinguished by the selection of target regions that contain both the
CCGG site(s) and appropriate variable tandem repeat polymorphisms allowing the
products to be distinguished. Systems based on tandem repeats at the androgen
receptor, AR (Allen et al. 1992), and the DXS255 loci have been commonly
employed (Boyd and Fraser 1990).
More recently, the focus has shifted to studies scanning the entire chromosome for loci and regions that remain active on an otherwise inactive X chromosome. One of the first preliminary chromosome-wide studies was based on the
application of non-quantitative PCR detection of human transcripts from somatic
cell hybrids carrying an inactive human X chromosome in an essentially otherwise rodent cell-line background. It was concluded that about 20% of genes
tested escaped inactivation and that a significant proportion of these were located
on the short arm (Carrel et al. 1999). This study was followed up with more
detailed investigations employing a similar strategy supplemented with a quantitative allele-specific assay on a subset of loci examined. Broadly similar
general conclusions were reached with about 15% of loci escaping to some
degree with an additional 10% of X-linked genes showing variable patterns
and extents of inactivation (Carrel and Willard 2005). The somatic cell hybrid
approach, however, will detect even low levels of expression from an inactive X
and furthermore relates specifically to the situation in a transformed rodent cell
background, which may not represent the environment of a more typical somatic
cell. Other techniques such as quantitative evaluation of data from expression
microarrays are better suited to assess whether, or not, escapees contribute
overall to differences in gene dosage between males and females. Comparisons
between cell lines with supernumerary X chromosomes, and on lymphocytes,
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I.W. Craig
lymphoblastoid lines and tissues from males and females have been reported
(Sudbrak et al. 2001; Craig et al. 2004b; Talebizadeh et al. 2006; McRae et al.
2007). In a comprehensive survey, Johnston et al. (2008) established that male
and female expression levels were generally similar and, in an important extension to the observations of Nugyen and Disteche (2006), noted that expression
from the single X in male cell lines is upregulated twofold relative to autosomes,
thereby achieving dosage parity between the X and autosomes. In addition, they
provided compelling data that relatively few loci consistently escape inactivation
in females.
Confidence in the potentially significant implications of the microarray expression approach is the coincident identification of some key regulatory and proteinmodifying loci in several of the studies. These are highlighted in bold in Table 7.1.
Of particular relevance in the present context of epigenetics and disease is the
identification as escapees of SMC1L1 (HGNC Symbol: SMC1A – structural
maintenance of chromosomes 1A) and of its close distal neighbour SMCX.
SMC1L1 is a component of the cohesion complex, which, in turn, interacts with
PDS5, a protein implicated in chromosome cohesion, condensation and recombination in yeast. SMCX encodes one of the families of histone H3 lysine-4
demethylases and reverses the trimethylated H3K4me3 to di- and mono-methylated status and presumptively results in transcriptional repression at target sites.
SMCX is also one of the more frequently mutated targets in X-linked mental
retardation (XLMR) and there is evidence that it both escapes inactivation and has
a distinct function from its Y-linked counterpart (SMCY). In a manner similar to
some of the other confirmed loci that escape inactivation, its Y homologue differs
in amino acid sequence and in its levels and patterns of expression. Both SMCX
and SMCY are expressed in mouse brain in a sex-specific fashion with SMCX
being expressed at a significantly higher level in the adult mouse brain of females
compared with males, and expression of the Y homologue in males being insufficient to compensate for the female bias in X-gene expression (Xu et al. 2002).
Moreover, SMCX has been implicated in neuronal survival and dendritic survival
and its mutation in several XLMR patients is associated with reduced demethylase activity (Iwase et al. 2007).
UTX (ubiquitously transcribed TPR gene on the X chromosome) is another gene
escaping inactivation and which is involved in epigenetic modification. It catalyses
the demethylation of tri/di-methylated H3 lysine-27 (H5K27me3/2) and has been
implicated in HOX gene regulation. A further escapee with potentially important
significance in epigenetic regulation is MSL3L1 (male-specific lethal 3-like 1) –
given that Drosophila male-specific lethal (msl) genes regulate transcription from
the male X chromosome in a dosage compensation pathway (see http://www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/omim/ for details).
It is, therefore, of considerable interest to discover that, of the relatively few
genes that escape inactivation, several have roles in epigenetic modification and
consequently have considerable potential for gene regulation. Overall, it is reasonable to suppose that such loci have the potential to contribute to sex differences in a
range of phenotypes including behaviour.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
EIF2S
EIF2S3
FUNDC1
HDHD1A
MSL3L1/MSL3
PCTK1
Yes
Yes
PNPLA4
PRKX
RBBP7
Yes
Yes
Yes
Escapees Johnston
et al. (2008)
EIFIA
CLCN4
CDR1
CA5B/CA5BL
DDX3
AP1S2
ALG13
ACSL4
Gene name
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Escapees Craig
et al. (2004b)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Escapees Talebizadeh
et al. (2006)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Escapees McRae
et al. (2007)
9 of 9
9 of 9
8 of 9
9 of 9
5 of 9
2 of 9
9 of 9
9 of 9
Escapees based on
somatic cell hybrids
Carrel and Willard (2005)
0 of 5
Table 7.1 Loci escaping inactivation based on over-expression in females detected by microarray analyses
(continued)
44,382,885–44,402,247
reverse strand
6,966,961–7,066,231 reverse
strand
11,776,278–11,793,870
forward strand
47,077,528–47,089,396
forward strand
16,857,406–16,888,537
reverse strand
7,866,288–7,895,780 reverse
strand
3,522,411–3,631,649 reverse
strand
108,884,564–108,976,621
reverse strand
110,909,043–111,003,877
forward strand
15,843,929–15,873,100
reverse strand
41,192,651–41,223,725
forward strand
15,706,953–15,805,747
forward strand
139,865,425–139,866,723
reverse strand
10,125,024–10,205,700
forward strand
20,142,636–20,159,962
reverse strand
24,072,833–24,096,088
forward strand
Position Kb
from pter
127
Yes
Yes
Yes
USP9X
UTX/KDM6A
ZFX
Weak signal and very partial escape
a
Yesa
Yes
U2AF1L2
ZRSR
UBE1/UBA1
Yes
Yes
Yes
TBL1
Yes
Yes
SYP
Yes
STS
Yes
Yes
STK3
Yes
SMCX/JARID1C
Yes
Yes
Yes
SMC1L1/SMC1A
SRSP2/SMS
Yes
SEDL/TRAPPC2
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Escapees Talebizadeh
et al. (2006)
RPS4X
Escapees Craig
et al. (2004b)
Yes
Escapees Johnston
et al. (2008)
RPGR
Gene name
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Escapees McRae
et al. (2007)
9 of 9
7 of 9
2 of 9
9 of 9
9 of 9
9 of 9
7 of 9
9 of 9
Escapees based on
somatic cell hybrids
Carrel and Willard (2005)
0 of 9
38,128,424–38,186,817
reverse strand
71,475,529–71,497,150
reverse strand
13,730,363–13,752,742
reverse strand
53,401,070–53,449,677
reverse strand
53,221,334–53,254,604
reverse strand
21,958,691–22,025,318
forward strand
131,157,245–131,209,971
forward strand
7,137,497–7,272,851
forward strand
49,044,269–49,056,718
reverse strand
9,431,335–9,687,780
forward strand
15,808,595–15,841,383
forward strand
47,050,260–47,074,527
forward strand
40,944,888–41,092,185
forward strand
44,732,423–44,971,847
forward strand
24,167,290–24,234,206
forward strand
Position Kb
from pter
128
I.W. Craig
7.6
129
Somatic Imprinting of X-Linked Genes and Potential
Impact on Behaviour
The chromosome constitution of individuals with Turner’s syndrome (TS), who
have a single X and no other sex chromosome (45, X0), provides an opportunity to
examine possible differences in expression from paternally or maternally inherited
X chromosomes. In a series of studies on Turner’s syndrome females, a range of
behavioural phenotypes were observed, which appeared to differ depending on the
parent of origin of the single X. Those who retained the maternal X (Xm0) had
greater difficulties in socialisation than those with a paternal X (Skuse et al. 1997).
The authors speculated that an X-linked gene (or group of genes) existed, which was
implicated in social behaviour and which was inactive (imprinted) on the maternally
inherited X chromosome. This raised the interesting possibility that the generally
accepted relative lack of such skills in boys is a result of their inheritance of their X
chromosome from their mothers. Other evidence for X-linked socialisation QTLs
has come more recently from twin studies (see below). A variety of subsequent
investigations has supported the existence of behavioural differences in Xp0 compared with Xm0 Turner’s syndrome individuals; however, the situation is complicated by the existence of mosaicism where some individuals may retain some tissues
containing cells with additional sex chromosome fragments (Henn and Zang 1997).
Although there is some direct experimental evidence for imprinted loci in mice
(Davies et al. 2005; Raefski and O’Neill 2005), none is yet available for humans and
the issue requires further clarification.
7.7
7.7.1
Behavioural Impact of Epigenetic Status
at Specific X-Linked Genes
Fragile X Mental Retardation Syndrome, FRAXA
Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of mental retardation, with
an incidence of around 1 in 4,000 males (Turner et al. 1996). The mental impairment
is often co-morbid with further symptoms including macro-orchidism and, in around
25% cases, epileptic seizures (Hagerman 1995, 1996). The gene implicated is
referred to as FMR1 and in unaffected individuals its 50 untranslated region located
in exon 1 contains about 30 copies of a CGG trinucleotide repeat. This repeat has
intrinsic instability thought to result from a propensity to form an abnormal hairpinlike secondary structure which predisposes replication slippage; however, the
somatic instability is relatively low compared to some other trinucleotide repeats
such as the CAG sequence in the myotonic dystrophy gene (DM1). Instability can
lead to increasing copy number of the repeat, which in the fully mutated state
expands to contain more than 200 CGG repeats leading to the formation of a target
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I.W. Craig
for extensive DNA methylation within the CGG repeat and in the flanking DNA (e.g.
Sutcliffe et al. 1992; Hornstra et al. 1993). This in turn predicates the formation of
altered chromatin structure, which can be manifested through specific treatments as
a visible fragile site at Xq27.3 in metaphase chromosome preparations. The methylation and chromatin changes result in the cessation of FMR1 expression and a lack of
its protein product FMRP, which is responsible for the mental retardation phenotype
in FRAXA. Fragile X mental retardation protein, FMRP, is a selective RNA-binding
protein; it forms messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes which associate
with polyribosomes in the brain and which can suppress protein translation in vitro
(Laggerbauer et al. 2001) and in vivo (Li et al. 2001; Stefani et al. 2004).
Two intermediate stages are recognised before full expansion is reached; these
are “intermediate” alleles (~41–55 repeats) and “premutations” (55–200 repeats).
Both are now recognised as more than a generational stepping stone between normal
allele size and the full mutation (Hagerman and Hagerman 2004). In addition, some
studies have found an association between expanded alleles in these size ranges and
cognitive/behavioural measures (e.g. Youings et al. 2000). Other studies indicate a
significant negative correlation between allele lengths within the generally accepted
normal range and a standardised score for IQ and general cognitive ability in young
males, suggesting that modest increases in repeat numbers may have a limiting
influence on cognitive performance (Loat et al. 2006). Interestingly, epigenetic
modification and partial suppression of FMR1 expression do not seem to be associated with phenotypes determined by such intermediate stages. Paradoxically, the
intermediate alleles are associated with increased transcription, but lower levels of
FMRP, and it seems that intermediate and premutation alleles manifest effects on the
carrier by a distinct mechanism from the full mutation. Hagerman et al. (2001) have
proposed an RNA “toxic-gain-of-function” model, whereby it is not an absence of
protein, but rather an excess of RNA that causes the phenotypes associated with
alleles in this range.
Recent studies have provided an insight into the possible mechanism underlying
the hypermethylation of the expanded 50 untranslated region of the FMR1 locus.
Naumann et al. (2009) have identified a methylation boundary existing at 650 and
800 nucleotides upstream of the CGG repeat, where the boundary separates a
hypermethylated area from the normally unmethylated FMR1 promoter, thereby
protecting it from the spread of methylation. This boundary is lost in individuals
with the fragile X syndrome and methylation extends into the FMR1 promoter
resulting in inactivation of the FMR1 gene. It is speculated that the boundary in the
FMR1 50 -upstream region coincides with a specific chromatin structure that, when
destabilised, allows methylation to spread downstream, with concomitant repression of the FMR1 transcript.
Other epigenetic changes accompany the hypermethylation of the expanded
repeat. Use of immunoprecipitation approaches to analyse the histone patterns in
the FMR1 region near the expanded repeat revealed high levels of methylated histone
3 at Lys9 (H3K9me), lower levels of acetylated (Ac)H3 and H4 together with
histone H3-K4 demethylation, suggesting that, unlike their normal-length counterparts, expanded CGG repeats at this locus carry epigenetic marks typical of
131
condensed heterochromatin (Oberlé et al. 1991; Coffee et al. 1999, 2002; O’Donnell
and Warren 2002). Intermediate expansion may sometimes reflect the partial transition to heterochromatinisation, and some individuals with 60–200 CGG repeats
display variable patterns of DNA methylation in different tissues (Saveliev et al.
2003). More recently, an intriguing novel gene, ASFMR1, has been identified. The
ASFMR1 transcript overlaps the CGG repeat region of the FMR1 gene in the
antisense orientation and is elevated in peripheral blood leucocytes of individuals
with premutation alleles, but not expressed from full mutation alleles, suggesting
that the locus may contribute to pathogenesis in premutation individuals (Ladd
et al. 2007).
Primary and transformed cell cultures obtained from rare individuals of normal
phenotype with an unmethylated full mutation in the FMR1 gene have been used to
show that CGG expansion per se does not block transcription (Smeets et al. 1995;
Pietrobono et al. 2005).
There is a well-established parent-of-origin effect on the expansion of the CCG
repeat in which asymptomatic mothers carrying permutation alleles produce male
offspring with full expansions in all tissues (apart from testes in which contraction
may occur). This results from repeat expansion in the maternal germline. Additional evidence indicates that changes in repeat copy number can also occur early
in embryogenesis, which is particularly well illustrated by the observation of
monozygotic (MZ) twins with different repeat lengths (Dion and Wilson 2009).
The somatic instability of CGG repeats is low in patients with extensively
methylated full mutations; however, unmethylated large expansions in FRAXA
males who express FMR1 show a high degree of instability (W€ohrle et al. 1998).
Eiges et al. (2007) investigated the impact of differentiation on the methylation
process in a model system based on embryonic stem cells derived from a male
pre-implantation fragile X-affected embryo whose mother was a carrier of a premutation (170 repeats). The undifferentiated male cell line was shown to have
expanded repeats in the range 200–> 1,000; however, the 50 CGG expansion was
unmethylated and the FMR1 protein expressed. Methylation and histone modification of the region, however, occurred once the stem cells were manipulated
to differentiate. On differentiation, the promoter region, originally enriched
in acetylated histone H3 and unmethylated at H3K9, on differentiation, showed
loss of acetylated histone H3 together with increased methylation at H3K9. It
seems that the critical stages of transcription-downregulation of the expanded
repeat at this locus are coincident with the epigenetic changes occurring on cell
differentiation.
In recent studies employing matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of
flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS), Godler et al. (2010) have identified a
number of novel elements at the FMR1 locus. The methylation of two of these
termed FREE1 and FREE2 appeared to be highly correlated with the methylation of
the CpG island and repression of gene activity in lymphocytes in blood from
partially methylated “high functioning” full mutation males. Methylation of both
markers in blood DNA from carrier females appeared to be inversely correlated
with the FMR1 activation ratio.
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7.7.2
I.W. Craig
Monoamine Oxidases A and B
The neurotransmitter metabolising enzymes MAOA and MAOB play an important
role in the metabolism of biogenic amines in the central nervous system and in the
periphery. They are the products of closely similar and abutting genes arranged in a
tail-to-tail configuration on the short arm at Xp11.23. Although both are capable of
metabolising neurotransmitter amines, MAOB is also active towards dietary amines.
As a consequence, in the context of behaviour, monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) has
received detailed attention concerning its expression and inactivation status mainly
because of its perceived significant role in aggression. This was first recognised in
humans through observations on a family segregating an allele with a nonsense
mutation that was associated with extremely disturbed and violent behaviour in
affected males. Apart from this very rare deleterious mutation, there are two
common alleles in most populations characterised by the presence of either three
or four copies of a 30 base pair VNTR found within the promoter region of the gene
and which are respectively associated with low vs. high transcriptional activity.
This is of particular interest given the observations of gene by environment effects,
which indicate that males carrying the low activity variant appear to be more
vulnerable to childhood abuse and as a result are more likely to be involved in
violent and antisocial behaviour, thereby perpetuating the “cycle of violence”
(Caspi et al. 2002). Many subsequent studies have generally supported the interaction between adverse environments and the low activity allele, although different
conclusions have been reached by some, depending on the sex, age and behavioural
measures employed (Craig 2007; Craig and Halton 2009, 2010). The potential
impact of epigenetic modifications to genes encoding members of the HPA axis
and monoamine metabolism pathways (including monoamine oxidases), which
may result from early exposure to stress are therefore of intense interest. Similarly,
the inactivation statuses of the monoamine oxidases have been the object of several
investigations. Some preliminary studies suggested that MAOA escaped (at least
partly) from inactivation. This, however, was inconsistent with observations on
allele differences in methylation of its CpG-rich regions and was also in conflict
with studies examining RNA expression in myoblasts. By employing a PCR-based
transcription assay on cloned myoblasts, which has the advantage of directly
assessing transcription rather than the passive measure of methylation, Benjamin
et al. (2000) showed that clonal populations expressed (at the level of detection on
agarose gels) only either one or the other allele, which strongly suggests that the
locus is regularly inactivated.
Pinsonneault et al. (2006) in a series of detailed investigations have examined
the potential roles of inactivation and cis-acting regulatory factors on the expression
of MAOA in human brain tissues. By employing two SNPs expressed at the mRNA
level, they were able to evaluate relative allelic expression in females heterozygous
for the high and low expressing VNTR genotypes (expressed as allelic expression
imbalance ratios, AEI). Evidence of significant cis-acting effects was demonstrated
by the wide range of AEI observed (0.3–4) in prefrontal cortex. However, although
133
extensive methylation in the promoter region VNTR was observed in females, but
not males, this did not correlate with inactivation ratios as determined by an
independent assay at the androgen receptor locus (Allen et al. 1992), which the
authors took to indicate the existence of an alternative process of dosage compensation in females. Methylation at two CpG sites was examined in detail and showed
extensive variation, but also correlated to some extent with allelic expression ratios.
Local sequence also contributed to expression differences and it seems that allelespecific expression of MAOA in females depends on both genetic and epigenetic
phenomena.
The impact of epigenetic programming coupled with the inactivation status of the
MAOA locus may contribute significantly to the variable reports of association of
low activity MAOA genotype and aggression in females. Very recently, a detailed
bioinformatics study of the upstream region of the MAOA gene has provided
valuable insight into the potential epigenetic modulation of expression from
the locus and shown that the regulatory region extends up to 2,000 bp upstream of
the transcription start site and contains a variety of potential methylation-sensitive
regions (Shumay and Fowler 2010). In addition to the well-recognised VNTR, the
analysis predicts a second putative promoter region whose activity is supported by
the reported detection of a transcript (BC044787) apparently initiated within a CpG
island distal to the conventional promoter. These data, taken together with the
previous reports, suggest the potential for additional levels of regulation and epigenetic modulation of the control of MAOA expression in addition to those currently
recognised.
There has also been some debate regarding the inactivation status of monoamine
oxidase B (MAOB), whose levels in platelets provide a readily accessible source for
monitoring its enzymic activity in various disorders. MAOB levels are lower in
Turner’s syndrome (X0) individuals than in control females (Good et al. 2003),
providing suggestive evidence that the gene may escape inactivation and consequently that haploinsufficiency in X0 individuals may contribute to the range of
symptoms observed in this condition. Subsequent investigations, however, failed to
find an association between measured enzyme activity and cognitive skills in
normal and X0? individuals (Lawrence et al. 2006). Chip-based expression studies
as described above also do not provide any support that the locus escapes from
inactivation.
7.7.3
Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2, MECP2
and the Chromatin-Modifying Gene, ATRX
The role of MECP2 in chromatin and genome modifications is of particular interest.
This X-linked locus is itself subjected to epigenetic modification as well as having a
central role in binding to methylated CpG signatures of other loci. Its significance in
134
I.W. Craig
context of behaviour is highlighted by its key role in Rett syndrome, RTT, which
is one of the most common forms of intellectual disability in young girls. RTTaffected individuals manifest a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder which
may include loss of speech, acquired microcephaly, ataxia and growth retardation.
The disorder normally results from germline mutations in the gene and the almost
exclusive involvement of females is best explained by X-linked dominant inheritance with lethality in the hemizygous males. Because of the normal involvement of
MECP2 protein in binding to 7-methyl cytosine residues, it has been speculated that
mutations may lead to a failure of binding leading to derepression of otherwise
inactive loci; however, the spectrum of loci that it appears to influence is complex
(Shahbazian and Zoghbi 2002).
Chahrour et al. (2008) examined gene expression patterns in the hypothalamus
of mice that either lack or over-express Mecp2. In both conditions, Mecp2 dysfunction induced changes in the expression levels of thousands of genes, but unexpectedly, the majority of genes (about 85%) appeared to be activated rather than
repressed by Mecp2. The authors then selected a subset of six genes (Sst, Oprk1,
Mef2C Gamt, Gprin1 and A2bp1) and confirmed that Mecp2 binds to its promoters.
In addition, they showed that Mecp2 associates with the transcriptional activator
Creb1 at the promoter of an activated target, but not a repressed target. Their studies
overall suggested that Mecp2 regulates the expression of a wide range of genes in
the hypothalamus and that it can function as both an activator and a repressor of
transcription.
Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies indicated that the regulatory protein
encoded by the early growth response 2 gene, EGR2, bound to the MECP2
promoter and that MeCP2 bound to the intron 1 enhancer region of EGR2
(Swanberg et al. 2009). These authors also noted that post-mortem cortex samples
of both RTT and AS disorders showed decreased EGFR2 compared to matched
controls and proposed a role for disruption of a pathway embracing these two
regulators in both RTT syndrome and AS. Other studies on male mouse embryonic
fibroblast cells deleted for Mecp2 showed reduced levels of the cytoskeletal related
gene, neuronal alpha tubulin, Tuba1a, and a deteriorated morphology. These
defects were reversed by the introduction and expression of the human MECP2
gene, suggesting that the latter is involved in the regulation of neuronal alpha
tubulin, which had been shown to be reduced in brain tissue from both RTT and
AS patients (Abuhatzira et al. 2009).
MECP2 is expressed at high levels in post-mitotic neurons and one of its wellcharacterised and highly significant targets in the context of behaviour is the brainderived neurotrophic factor gene, BDNF, which is important in regulating neuronal
plasticity (Martinowich et al. 2003; Dulac 2010).
The MECP2 protein binds to methylated CpG dinucleotide sites through an 85
amino acid methyl-CpG-binding domain (amino acids 78–162) (Lewis et al.
1992; Nan et al. 1993) and mediates gene silencing by causing changes in
chromatin structure through interactions with co-repressor complexes, such as
SIN3A, which contains the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC2 – an
interaction that is targeted through a 104 amino acid transcriptional repression
135
domain (amino acids 207–310) (Nan et al. 1993). MECP2 may also interact with
other chromatin-modifying enzymes, such as histone methyltransferase and the
product of another X-linked gene, ATRX (helicase 2, X-linked), mutations in
which cause the alpha-thalassaemia/mental retardation syndrome (Nan et al.
2007; Shahbazian and Zoghbi 2002). Interestingly, MECP2 also interacts with
the DNA methyltransferase, DNMT1, and consequently could be involved in the
regulation of DNA methylation. In addition to its role in interacting with CpG
islands, recent studies have shown that MECP2 can bind to intergenic sites and
raise the possibility that its role may also include long-range chromatin reconfiguration (Yasui et al. 2007)
7.7.4
MECP2 and Its Association with ATRX Another
X-Linked Chromatin Interacting Protein
MECP2 has been implicated in the regulation of parentally imprinted genes – for
example, by binding to the paternal allele of H19 and the maternal alleles of
U2af1-rs1 (e.g. Drewell et al. 2002). Indeed, very recently, it has been observed
that MECP2 and ATRX together with cohesin interact and bind to established
imprinted domains such as the H19 imprinting control region and the Gtl2/Dlk1
imprinted domain in mouse brain. It is proposed therefore that ATRX, cohesin
and MeCP2 cooperate to silence a subset of imprinted genes in the postnatal
mouse brain (Kernohan et al. 2010). Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments have indicated that ATRX decorates the single late replicating
(inactivated) X chromosome in female somatic cells (trophoblastic stem cells) but
only after differentiation onset, as illustrated by its absence from embryonic stem
cells. This suggests that the association of the chromatin remodelling protein
follows the onset of inactivation and may be significant in the observed skewed
X-inactivation observed in patients with ATRX syndrome (Baumann and de la
Fuente 2009).
MECP2 mutations have also been observed in a wide variety of other behavioural
disorders including autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Interestingly, milder
late-onset versions of Rett syndrome have been attributed to skewed X-inactivation
in which the mutant allele is significantly underexpressed (Amir et al. 2000).
Mutations in coding and flanking regions of MECP2 have been observed in autism
at low frequency; more frequently, significant increase in promoter methylation
associated with decreased expression (detected by immunofluorescence with antiC-terminal MECP2 antibodies detecting both isoforms) has been observed in the
frontal cortex of affected males by bisulphite sequencing. This suggests that the
MECP2 locus is affected by and itself influences the epigenetic programme with
potential complex consequences (Nagarajan et al. 2006). The recent demonstration
that there may be more common population variants affecting MECP2, which
136
I.W. Craig
contribute to the complex aetiology of autism may be relevant in this context (Loat
et al. 2008a).
7.8
Skewing of Inactivation as a Novel Approach to Identifying
Behaviours with X-Linked Genetic Input
As noted previously, a variety of mechanisms, both stochastic and directed, may lead
to skewed X chromosome inactivation patterns in females, with modest to extreme
skewing observed in a significant proportion of women. Extreme bias can additionally occur through cellular selection caused by deletions and translocations on one of
the X chromosomes. It is interesting to note that differences in skewing between twin
girls can also arise. Indeed, dichorionic MZ twinning, unlike monochorionic MZ
twinning, occurs prior to the onset of X-inactivation (Puck 1998) and may lead to a
relative increase in skewing of the former. Whatever the mechanism, skewing of Xinactivation should be expected to cause female MZ twins to be, on average, more
discordant than their male homozygous twin counterparts for polymorphic X-linked
traits. Given that the human X chromosome holds about 880 known protein-coding
genes and that an impressive level of genetic heterogeneity exists, such that, on
average, each gene may exhibit one or more single nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs) and a scattering of variable simple sequence repeat motifs, the potential
for functional heterozygosity at each locus and the potential for detecting X-linked
traits by this process are considerable. In a preliminary study, Loat et al. (2004)
examined nine behaviours or composite behavioural traits in 1,000 MZ female and
1,000 MZ male twin pairs taken from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS)
cohort. They found three of the traits (peer problems, prosocial behaviour and verbal
ability) had significantly lower correlation coefficients for the female twins compared to males. They also found the same behaviours were significantly less correlated for dizygotic (DZ) male twins, which is to be expected as females share a
common paternal X chromosome, so that any variation engendered by the differential inheritance of the two maternal X chromosomes will be moderated by the
presence of the common paternal X. In contrast, males will be fully exposed to
any functional variation for such traits resulting from the inheritance of one, or other,
of the maternal X chromosome. Furthermore, the fact that they are hemizygous for
X-linked genes which have no Y homologue means that the male sex as a whole may
generally be exposed to extremes of phenotypes that are controlled by alleles on the
X chromosome. This may help to explain the commonly recognised, yet infrequently discussed, phenomenon that males exhibit greater variance in the population
than females for a large number of traits including intelligence (Hedges and Nowell
1995; Johnson et al. 2008; Craig et al. 2009). Subsequent studies have replicated
these findings on older children and the additional data from these studies provided
evidence that there are also X-linked QTLs for the social incapacity element of
individuals with autism spectrum disorders (Loat et al. 2008b).
137
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.
Chapter 8
The Strategies of the Genes: Genomic Conflicts,
Attachment Theory, and Development
of the Social Brain
Bernard J. Crespi
Abstract I describe and evaluate the hypothesis that effects of parent–offspring
conflict and genomic imprinting on human neurodevelopment and behavior are
central to evolved systems of mother–child attachment. The psychological constructs of Bowlby’s attachment theory provide phenomenological descriptions of
how attachment orchestrates affective-cognitive development, and patterns of
imprinted-gene expression and coexpression provide evidence of epigenetic and
evolutionary underpinnings to human growth and neurodevelopment. Social-environmental perturbations to the development of normally secure attachment, and
alterations to evolved systems of parent–offspring conflict and imprinted-gene
effects, are expected to lead to specific forms of maladaptation, manifest in psychiatric conditions affecting social-brain development. In particular, underdevelopment of the social brain in autism may be mediated in part by mechanisms that lead
to physically enhanced yet psychologically underdeveloped attachment to the
mother, and affective-psychotic conditions, such as schizophrenia and depression,
may be mediated in part by forms of insecure attachment and by increased relative
effects of the maternal brain, both directly from mothers and via imprinted-gene
effects in offspring. These hypotheses are concordant with findings from epidemiology, attachment theory, psychiatry, and genetic and epigenetic analyses of risk
factors for autism and affective-psychotic conditions, they make novel predictions
for explaining the causes of psychosis in Prader–Willi syndrome and idiopathic
schizophrenia, and they suggest avenues for therapeutic interventions based on
normalizing alterations to epigenetic networks and targeting public-health interventions toward reduction of perturbations to the development of secure attachment
in early childhood and individuation during adolescence.
Keywords Attachment Autism Genomic imprinting Schizophrenia Social
brain
B.J. Crespi
Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
e-mail: crespi@sfu.ca
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8.1
B.J. Crespi
Introduction
Conrad Waddington coined the term “epigenetics” to refer to the processes,
whereby interactions between genetic and environmental variation lead to the
emergence of patterns in phenotypic variation via development (Haig 2004a). In
1957, Waddington explicated in detail his theory of how natural selection and other
processes mediate the evolution of ontogenetic trajectories, described by the concept of progressively increasing canalization as depicted in adaptive-developmental
landscapes. His “strategy of the genes” thus centers on the evolution of cooperative
developmental-genetic networks that can, in part via epigenetic modifications,
produce relatively viable phenotypes in response to, and in spite of, genetic
and environmental perturbations due to alterations in genes or their patterns of
expression.
Epigenetic landscapes represent metaphors for how gene regulation directs
pathways of development from the largest to smallest scales – from the first
deviation in totipotency of embryonic stem cells, to gene-expression signatures,
cell fate determinants and tissue-type differentiation into organs, and to phenotypes
that include conditional behavior (Fig. 8.1). Much of modern developmental genetics focuses on elucidating the causal processes that underlie subsections of such
landscapes, in the contexts of human ontogenies and disease, yet epigenetics itself,
the impetus for Waddington’s conception of development, has only recently
Fig. 8.1 Waddington’s (1957) conceptualization of an epigenetic landscape, with the pegs as
genes and the strings as developmental effects from gene expression
8 The Strategies of the Genes: Genomic Conflicts, Attachment Theory
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reemerged as a central focus of research in understanding the orchestration of
phenotypic development.
For humans, development proceeds via growth and differentiation of body, brain,
and behavior under the joint influences of genes and, for environment, mainly
interacting humans. Throughout much of the most formative early years, the mother
holds center stage, providing both physiological nurture from uterus, placenta, and
breast, and, increasingly, as the infant grows, psychological guidance through
interactive processes of bonding, instruction, and other behavior. These developmental processes, perhaps more than many others, are expected to be strongly
canalized, yet also sensitive to relatively predictable perturbations, such that epigenetic modifications to gene expression should direct neurodevelopment along conditionally adaptive pathways unless perturbations are too severe. As such, and as
Waddington (1957) described, epigenetic landscapes may be considered as structures shaped by long evolutionary histories of selection, representing in their form
some more or less long-term integration of past social environments and genomes.
From Waddington’s mid-twentieth century perspective, the adaptive strategies
of all genes in an individual coincide, and aspects of the environment, such as the
agents of other genomes, are not expected to pursue strategies that conflict. Two
levels and forms of genetic conflict are now well documented in their effects:
conflicts between individuals who are genetically unrelated to some degree, and
conflicts within the genomes of individuals, between sets of genes with different
patterns of inheritance and genetic relatedness to potential interactants (Hamilton
1964, 1996; Trivers 1974; Haig 1997, 2006a, b; Burt and Trivers 2006; Fox et al.
2010). Both forms of conflict lead to differences in the phenotypic optima toward
which they are, and have been, directed by natural selection. Optimal developmental trajectories of a given individual, and thus epigenetic landscapes, may thus
vary in systematic ways between mother and child, and between sets of genes, such
as imprinted genes that are silenced when inherited from either the mother or the
father (Haig 2002). From evolutionary theory, and now-abundant empirical data
(e.g., Hrdy 1999; Maestripieri 2002), offspring are expected to solicit more
investment from parents, especially mothers as the main caregivers, than parents
have been naturally selected to provide, due ultimately to parent–offspring relatedness of only one-half for autosomal genes. Similarly, paternally expressed
imprinted genes in the child are expected to exert phenotypic effects that extract
more investment from the mother than do maternally expressed imprinted genes,
due to a history of paternally inherited genes exhibiting lower genetic relatedness
within sibships and matrilines (Haig 2002, 2004b).
Outcomes of conflict between individuals, and between sets of genes, are difficult
to predict, but may include stable equilibria, tugs-or-war over resource allocation, one
party “winning” due to asymmetries in control over resource allocation, or continued
conflict (e.g., Royle et al. 2004; Smiseth et al. 2008). Conflicts such as genomic
imprinting also potentiate liability to phenotypes associated with disease (Crespi
2010), due to functional haploidy of imprinted genes, dysregulation of tug-of-warbased systems that evolved in this context, and the expected general higher lability of
epigenetic gene-expression control systems (based on DNA methylation and histone
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B.J. Crespi
modifications) compared to the lability of DNA alterations via mutation. Such disease
effects from imprinting have been documented extensively for disorders related to
human placentation, overall growth, and neurodevelopment (e.g., Angiolini et al.
2006; McMinn et al. 2006; Wagschal and Feil 2006; Davies et al. 2008a, b).
The main thesis of this chapter is that genomic conflicts and cooperation,
especially the epigenetic effects of genomic imprinting, centrally mediate core
aspects of mother–child developmental interactions – most notably the processes
of attachment – with important consequences for psychological well-being throughout life. I first describe the roles of imprinted genes in development, and recent
discoveries of imprinted-gene networks that control growth. Next, I explicate the
hypothesis that human early-childhood social development, mainly via interaction
with the mother, involves a network of brain-expressed imprinted genes that modulate attachment – the process whereby children, in environments characterized by
secure and responsive maternal care, internalize psychological constructs derived
from external mother–child interactions to develop a self and psyche centered in
their social context (Bowlby 1969; Bretherton 1997). The idea of imprinted genes
mediating attachment was originally suggested by Isles and Holland (2005), and I
extend and evaluate the hypothesis using information from patterns of imprintedgene expression and coexpression, phenotypes of imprinting-based disorders, Bowlby’s
attachment theory, and psychiatric conditions involving the social brain. Finally, I
discuss the implications of these ideas and data for pharmacological and behavioral
therapies, public-health strategies, and the integration of epigenetic perspectives
derived from Waddington into research programs focused on understanding the
genetic bases of human development. Most generally, I integrate and synthesize
evidence from evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, human genetics
and epigenetics, and psychiatry of social-brain disorders to develop and evaluate
explicit, testable hypothesis regarding roles of genomic conflicts and epigenetics in
human development and evolution.
8.2
Genomic Imprinting in Human Growth
Haig and Graham (1991) developed the kinship theory of imprinting in the context
of conflict interactions in fetal mice between paternally expressed Igf2, which drives
growth, and maternally expressed Igf2r, which acts as a “decoy” receptor to reduce
Igf2’s growth-stimulating effects. Although the predicted pattern of paternally
expressed imprinted genes tending to foster overall growth, and maternally
expressed imprinted genes constraining it, has been abundantly supported in studies
of placentation and body size (e.g., Plagge et al., 2004; Weinstein et al., 2004;
Kelsey 2007), the simple, direct tug-of-war system exemplified by Igf2 and its
receptor has proven to be atypical of imprinted-gene effects generally. The first
clear evidence for a much more extensive system of imprinted-gene interaction –
imprinted-gene networks – emerged from work by Arima et al. (2005), who
demonstrated that the imprinted genes ZAC1, LIT1, and CDKN1C jointly mediate
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growth of human cells. Varrault et al. (2006) used information from experimental
mouse knockouts, and microarray databases, to document more directly the existence of a coregulatory imprinted-gene network; thus, gains and losses of Zac1
altered the expression levels of the imprinted genes Igf2, H19, Cdkn1c, and Dlk1,
and a broad pattern of imprinted-gene coexpression, involving these five genes as
well as Grb10, Gtl2, Peg1 (Mest), Sgce, Dcn, Gatm, Gnas, Ndn, and Peg3, emerged
from analyses of gene coexpression in pooled datasets from mouse muscle and other
tissues. Lui et al. (2008) subsequently identified a set of 11 imprinted genes in this
network, all of which influence aspects of cell proliferation, whose expression levels
across multiple tissues paralleled trajectories of overall body growth, and Gabory
et al. (2009) showed that H19 acts as an important transregulator of this imprintedgene network that may also “fine-tune” gene coexpression patterns to moderate
effects from perturbations; network interactions among unrelated genes are indeed
postulated as a major cause of robustness against mutations (Wagner 2000), which
should be especially important for functionally haploid, imprinted genes. Gabory
et al. (2009) also demonstrated that such regulation via H19 apparently did not
operate in the placenta, which implies a notable degree of tissue and stage specificity
of imprinted-gene network dynamics. Most recently, loss of expression of the
ATRX gene in mice has been shown to cause altered postnatal expression of a
suite of imprinted genes including Igf2, H19, Dlk1, Zac1, and Peg1, as well as the
Rett-syndrome gene MeCP2, suggesting a role for ATRX in transregulation of the
imprinted-gene network (Kernohan et al. 2010) and corroborating effects of MeCP2
expression in the regulation of imprinted genes (Miyano et al. 2008).
Two independent lines of data provide further evidence for fundamental roles of
imprinted-gene networks in development. First, two of the best-understood human
genetic syndromes, Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome and Silver–Russell syndrome, are each mediated by alterations to different imprinted genes in the network,
which convergently generate similar phenotypes involving, respectively, overgrowth or undergrowth (Eggermann et al. 2008; Eggermann 2009). Similar convergent effects, whereby different epigenetic or genetic alterations produce highly
similar phenotypes, have also been described for Prader–Willi syndrome (Crespi
2008a) and Angelman syndrome (Jedele 2007; Crespi 2008a). Convergence from
diverse genetic or epigenetic perturbations, to similar phenotypes across multiple
traits, represents clear examples of developmental canalization. Such canalization
effects can also be generalized to idiopathic conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia, each of which also exhibits diverse genetic, epigenetic, and environmental
causes converging to a relatively small set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral
phenotypes (Happé 1994; Owen et al. 2007; Abrahams and Geschwind 2008). As
imprinted-gene networks have presumably evolved in part due to selection for
coordinated, robust control of mammalian growth – yielding specific, syndromic
phenotypes when sufficiently perturbed – genomic and epigenetic networks orchestrating human neurodevelopment and behavior may likewise be expected to yield
predictable patterns from different forms of alteration.
A second line of evidence pertinent to gene-expression networks in general, and
imprinted genes in particular, is the recent discovery of mechanisms, whereby
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imprinted domains interact across different chromosomes, via allele-specific physical juxtaposition of long-range chromatin loops in interphase nuclei (Smits and
Kelsey 2006; Zhao et al. 2006). Such interactions occur genome-wide (Ling and
Hoffman 2007), but are strongly enriched to imprinted regions (Zhao et al. 2006),
with an apparent central role for the imprinted RNA gene H19 as a hub for
transvection of parent-of-origin specific effects to both imprinted and nonimprinted loci on other chromosomes (Sandhu et al. 2009). Interchromosomal
interactions that involve imprinted loci provide a genome-scale mechanism for
coordinated expression of imprinted genes (in addition to mechanisms involving,
for example, transcription factors such as Zac1, and protein–protein interactions
such as those between p57kip2 and Nurr1) (Joseph et al. 2003), and for control of
non-imprinted genes and loci by specific imprinted genes, that may serve to
increase their relative influence on development.
In the context of Haig’s kinship theory of imprinting, imprinted-gene networks
can be hypothesized as multidimensional generalizations of simple, two-dimensional
tugs-of-war, which apparently evolved step by step with the accrual of imprinted
domains along the lineages leading to the origins of metatherian and eutherian
mammals (Renfree et al. 2009). This conception of imprinted-gene networks shows
how cooperation, in a literal sense of the word, can evolve from conflict, when the
interests of different mutually dependent parties, here paternally expressed and
maternally expressed imprinted genes, overlap partially yet broadly. Thus, paternal
and maternal genes, as well as additional genetic “factions” such as genes on the X
chromosome (Haig 2006a), share a common interest in successful development via
reducing physiological costs of conflict, and (within limits) increasing the robustness
of development to perturbations, although natural selection continues to favor paternal-gene variants that solicit marginally more investment from mothers, and maternal
and X-linked alleles that reduce such imposition of increased costs.
Consideration of the tissue and stage specifics of imprinted-gene expression, in the
context of the kinship theory of imprinting, leads to the inference that more or less
different imprinted-gene networks should characterize each of the three main arenas
for imprinted-gene effects (1) placentation, (2) overall postnatal growth, and (3)
behavioral interactions with the mother, as influenced by imprinted-gene expression
in the brain. Indeed, the network presented in Varrault et al. (2006) represents a
conglomeration of gene coexpression patterns across multiple tissues and stages,
and some central genes in the network, such as Ndn, apparently do not exert effects
on overall growth (Tsai et al. 1999). Eutherian placentation is known to be orchestrated by imprinted genes in a manner consonant with predictions of the kinship
theory (e.g., Bressan et al. 2009), and alterations to imprinted-gene expression underlie a considerable proportion of risk for the major disorders of human pregnancy (e.g.,
Charalambous et al. 2007); Fauque et al. (2010) describe evidence for imprinted-gene
coregulation effects in mouse placentation, which coordinate gene-expression
changes in relation to early-embryonic conditions. Postnatal growth effects are similarly mediated by imprinted genes, which appear to predominantly exert their influences through effects on cell proliferation at the tissue level (Reik et al. 2001), and
glucose and lipid metabolism at the levels of physiology and metabolism (Sigurdsson
149
et al. 2009). The body growth enhancement effects of Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome, and growth reduction in Silver–Russell syndrome, indeed represent paradigmatic examples of imprinted-gene disorders with primary effects on both prenatal and
postnatal growth. Microarray studies that focus on placental gene expression, and gene
expression across the tissues most directly involved in prenatal and postnatal growth,
are thus expected to reveal imprinted-gene networks that comprise partially overlapping sets of genes, with imprinted genes exerting effects that are more or less tissue
specific. The tissue with the most pervasive effects on growth, development, and
behavior – the brain – remains, however, the least well understood.
8.3
Genomic Imprinting in the Brain
The study of imprinted-gene effects in brain development was pioneered by
Keverne, whose studies of chimeric mice showed differential contribution of
paternally expressed imprinted genes to development of limbic brain regions
(especially the hypothalamus), and maternally expressed genes to development of
the neocortex (Allen et al. 1995; Keverne et al. 1996; Keverne 2001a, b). Functional
and evolutionary hypotheses for the effects of brain-expressed imprinted genes
have been described in detail; these include diverse effects on affect, cognition,
attention, feeding behavior, and other central brain functions (Isles et al. 2006;
Wilkinson et al. 2007; Davies et al. 2008a, b; Champagne et al. 2009), some of
which apparently influence resource-related interactions between mothers and
offspring. These hypotheses have proved difficult to evaluate critically due to the
complexity of the mechanisms involved, and the difficulty of testing alternative
hypotheses of neurobehavioral adaptation compared to pleiotropic by-product.
Adaptation is most commonly recognized, at least initially, as convergence or
parallelism in causal patterns consistent with theory. For imprinted brain-expressed
gene, clear convergent effects of paternally expressed genes on neurodevelopment
have been described for the roles of Peg3, Peg1, and Ndn in promoting development of hypothalamic neurons that secrete oxytocin, the peptide hormone that most
strongly mediates social bonding (Davies et al. 2008a, b; Ross and Young 2009;
MacDonald and MacDonald 2010). Moreover, in the Zac1 network (Varrault et al.
2006), these three genes occupy central locations as “hubs”, prominently
connected, like Zac1 itself, to relatively large numbers of both imprinted and
non-imprinted genes. These findings, from three lines of evidence (mouse knockouts, functional gene-expression data, and gene coexpression networks), suggest a
functional and evolutionary role for imprinted genes in fostering bonding and
attachment of offspring to mothers, in the context of an imprinted-gene network
that affects expression of offspring behaviors that regulate levels of resource
accrual from mothers. In mice, bonding of pups to mothers involves olfactory,
tactile, and auditory cues, which foster safety and suckling; moreover, suckling
behavior is differentially disrupted in mouse knockouts of the paternally expressed
genes Peg3 and Gnasxl (Curley et al 2004; Plagge et al. 2004).
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In humans, who like mice are highly altricial as neonates, attachment involves
the same three categories of sensory cue as in mice, and early suckling and feeding
are impaired in the two genomic conditions, Silver–Russell syndrome and Prader–
Willi syndrome, that involve strong maternal-gene biases (Blissett et al. 2001;
Holland et al., 2003; Dudley and Muscatelli 2007), as well as in humans with
paternal deletion of GNASxl (Geneviève et al. 2005); in contrast, macroglossia
(enlarged tongues, which are expected to facilitate suckling) has been reported in
both Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome and Angelman syndrome (Cohen 2005). But
much more extensively than in mice, human cognitive-affective interactions guide
early development of the child’s “social brain” – the distributed, integrated set of
neural systems that control acquisition, processing, and deployment of socially
interactive information (Frith 2008). Such interactions have motivated the development of a large body of theory and empirical work in psychology and attachment
theory, with direct implications for other fields from genetics, epigenetics, and
neurodevelopment to analyses of the etiology of psychiatric conditions that involve
alterations to early development and function of the social brain.
8.4
Attachment Theory and Human Social Development
Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth to help
explain the adaptive significance of physical and psychological interactions between
young children and close caregivers (primarily the mother), and how children
deprived of care, or subject to dysfunctional forms of caregiver–child interaction,
develop along lifelong trajectories characterized by altered emotional and cognitive
systems that are explicable in part by the nature of these early perturbations (Bowlby
1969). The majority of children develop “secure” attachment, whereby their intimate interactions with the mother provide for physical safety, nutritional sustenance,
and social-emotion-cognitive guidance that generates a “secure base”, increasingly
explorative behavior with age, and an environmental conducive to development of a
social brain – internalized schema – with robust sense of self, well-developed theory
of mind, and ability to nurture secure attachment to one’s own children in later life.
Deviations from secure attachment, as assayed by the “strange situations test”
that tests a child’s behavior toward its mother when subject to short separations,
take a small set of forms (1) avoidant attachment, whereby children with unmet
expectations of attachment security come to at least provisionally reject significant
others, (2) anxious/ambivalent attachment, with unmet solicitation leading to
“escalation” of distress and behavior characterized by contact-seeking combined
with anger and ambivalence, and (3) disorganized attachment, with lack of a
coherent, organized “strategy” for interacting with the caregiver (e.g., Shaver and
Mikulincer 2002). These deviations have been interpreted in the context of developmental responses by the child to variation in caregiver sensitivity, that is,
provision of consistent physical and psychological support, in contrast to neglectful, hostile, or inconsistent care.
151
The framework for interpretation of childhood attachment patterns has developed
in the combined contexts of post-Freudian psychodynamics, evolutionary-ethological
constructs for the study of animal behavior, and psychological theories of stages and
processes in child social development, such as the social-behavioral internalization
theories of Vygotsky (Bretherton 1992; Thompson 2008). In her book Mother
Nature, Hrdy (1999) first conceptualized an evolutionary-genetic basis for understanding central aspects of attachment, unappreciated by previous work, that follow
directly from W.D. Hamilton’s inclusive fitness theory. Due ultimately to genetic
relatedness between mothers and children of only one-half, mother–child interactions are expected to comprise complex mixtures of cooperation and conflict, with
children having been selected to solicit higher levels of behavioral as well as
nutritional investment than mothers have been selected to provide. The theory
underlying parent–offspring conflict has been well supported by empirical studies
(Bowlby 1969, p. 203; Haig 1993; Hinde and Kilner 2007), and Hrdy (1999)
interprets a broad swath of human-specific childhood phenotypes, from high levels
of neonatal fat, to precocious neurological development of eye contact, facial
expression, and vocalization, as subject to a long history of selection in the context
of child signaling of vigor and solicitation of increased energetic and psychological
investment. Childhood attachment to mother – from placenta, to breast, and to
psychological development – is thus expected to be centrally mediated by both
cooperation and conflict, which should be expressed in patterns of child attachment
behaviors that represent largely adaptive responses to the behavior of the mother,
who is in physical control of investment. The major patterns of child attachment
have indeed been interpreted by attachment theorists as conditionally adaptive
responses of children to sensitive, hostile, neglectful, or inconsistent mothering,
though not in terms of strategies grounded by the fundamentals of evolutionary
genetic and epigenetics.
Parent–offspring conflict theory applies to autosomal genes with conditional,
temporally restricted effects in children, and autosomal genes expressed in mothers.
The primary implication of this theory is that evolved systems of mother–child
interaction (and father–child interaction, given some degree of paternal care)
should be characterized in part by conflicts – mainly centered on increased demands
from the child, and responses from mother conditioned on marginal benefits to her
from incremental investment in child versus benefits from other fitness-accruing
activities. Haig (1993) describes evidence of such dynamics in the context of
human maternal–fetal interactions, as do Wells (2003) and Soltis (2004), for
suckling and crying; these authors also demonstrate how the major disorders of
food provision via placenta and breast, including intrauterine growth restriction,
pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, excess post-natal weight gain, failure to thrive,
and colic, can usefully be understood in part as forms and effects of dysregulation to
systems of evolved mother–child conflict – conflicts that are revealed most clearly
in cases of genetic or environmental perturbation from “normal” development.
Mother’s primary form of investment in children beyond food is, of course,
psychological training and guidance, and mother–child conflicts in this arena are
expected to exhibit constrained-conflict dynamics squarely manifest in attachment,
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with disorders of mental health, for the grown child, more likely to result when
dynamics are perturbed (Berry et al. 2007, 2008; Lyons-Ruth 2008).
To understand the expected role of imprinted genes in attachment, conflicts due
to imprinted genes must be conceptually distinguished from, and related to, conflicts between parents and offspring. Imprinted-gene conflicts are thus expected,
from the kinship theory of imprinting, to involve interactions between paternally
expressed genes and maternally expressed genes in the child. As such, imprinted
genes are predicted, through the integration of their effects, to influence the child’s
“set level” of resource demand imposed upon the mother. An example of such an
economic system, in a physiological situation, is provided by expression of the
imprinted gene Cdnk1c in fetal mouse development: levels of its protein product,
p57kip2, have been experimentally demonstrated to act as a “rheostat” for embryonic growth, with ultimate levels of growth determined by the balance between
fetal demand and maternal supply (Andrews et al. 2007). In the context of child
psychology and behavior, imprinted genes are expected to similarly mediate levels
of imposed demand, here for psychological time and energy; more generally, they
should exert effects that result, by any mechanism, in higher or lower, longer or
shorter, levels of investment from the mother. Small alterations to such systems,
toward, for example, stronger effects from paternal gene expression that lead to
higher investment, are expected to benefit the child, and his or her paternally
expressed imprinted genes, at a small cost to the mother and to the child’s
maternally expressed imprinted genes. In contrast, large alterations, which like
any large genetic or epigenetic effects surmount the homeostatic effects of canalized development, are expected to result in disorders of psychological development that are detrimental to both mother and child, and to all genomic parties
concerned. The nature of such disorders, however, provides useful tests of evolutionary theory involving genomically based conflicts, and insights into strategies for
therapy, prevention, and research (Crespi 2008b; Crespi et al. 2009).
These considerations from attachment theory, parent–offspring conflict theory,
and the kinship theory of imprinting generate a simple conceptual framework for
understanding normal and dysregulated social-behavioral interactions between
mothers and small children (Fig. 8.2). From birth, young children exhibit some
level of social-behavioral “demand”, manifest in solicitations of interaction via
facial and auditory cues, as well as in the contexts of crying, fussing, and suckling.
Such levels are expected to vary between children, and over time in response to
levels and forms of reciprocal and unsolicited maternal behavior. Child-specific,
dynamic “demand” is matched, less or more, by levels of maternal sensitivity and
responsiveness to such cues – varying from neglect, to solicitous, attentive care, and
to controlling over-involvement.
Evolutionary histories of parent–offspring conflict, and imprinted-gene conflict,
have generated conditional behavioral adaptations, in child and in mother, that
potentiate the possibility of mismatches between demand and response, which may
result in maladaptation for one or both parties. Thus, relatively low social-behavioral
demand from the child may delay or dysregulate social-brain development, but
provide marginal benefits to the mother in terms of her lifetime inclusive fitness.
153
Fig. 8.2 A simple model for potential interactions of levels of maternal social-behavioral
provision/imposition with levels of child social-behavioral solicitation/imposition
In contrast, relatively high demands may, if matched by supply, provide benefits to
the child at some cost to mother; if not matched or if too insistent, however, such
demands may provoke neglect, ambivalence, or even hostility, if they interfere
sufficiently with a given mother’s perceived optimal life-history trajectory. Levels
of maternal “supply” higher than child demand – “over-involvement” – may, in
contrast, come to interfere with the child’s ability to explore and increasingly
detach, physically and social-emotionally, from its secure base of the controlling
maternal brain, to individuate its own psyche. This conceptual framework can help
to explain the surprisingly low rates of secure attachment in children (not much
over 50%), with anxious attachment representing, in part, attempts to solicit
increased investment and improve one’s lot, whereas avoidant attachment may
involve a form of defensive strategy to, in part, avoid making matters any worse.
The outcomes of parent–offspring and imprinting-mediated conflicts are difficult
to predict a priori, but they should depend upon the relative fitness costs and
benefits to the child and mother of the alternative behaviors, and the degree to
which each party controls aspects of the interaction. Thus, tactics available to
young children include auditory and facial expressions of positive and negative
affect, crying, suckling intensity, and physical movement varying with age; in
contrast, mothers control access to breast and physical presence, and provision of
information and social interaction crucial to the child’s affective and cognitive
development. Indeed, as Bowlby (1951, p. 53) noted:
“In dealing here with the embryology of the human mind one is struck by a similarity with
the embryological development of the human body, during the course of which
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undifferentiated tissues respond to the influence of chemical organizers. If growth is to
proceed smoothly, the tissues must be exposed to the influence of the appropriate organizer
at certain critical periods. In the same way, if mental development is to proceed smoothly, it
would appear necessary for the undifferentiated psyche to be exposed during certain
critical periods to the influence of the psychic organizer – the mother”. Thus, during
infancy and early childhood, “she is his ego and his super-ego.”
The primary usefulness of a Keynesian, supply–demand model for attachment is
that it provides a framework, compatible with both developmental psychology and
evolutionary-genetic theory, that generates novel explanations and predictions for
alternative patterns of social-brain development. The model can be conceptualized
as a developmental landscape, canalized to secure attachment and its sequelae but
with different optimal trajectories for mother and child, and for child’s paternal and
maternal imprinted genes. Child development along the landscape initially proceeds
via basic emotional-behavioral attachment mediated in part by paternal imprintedgene effects, which serve as an affective-attentional scaffold upon which the social,
maternal brain is gradually built, via maternal-gene effects and interactions with the
mother and other caregivers. Actual trajectories for any child are determined by
some dynamic integration of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental inputs into
social-brain development, and into mother–child interaction; most importantly for
mental health, relatively large genetic, epigenetic, or environmental alterations to
this system are expected to generate predictable consequences, manifest in major
disorders of the social brain, such as schizophrenia, depression, and autism. The
assumptions and predictions of the model can be evaluated using information from
human imprinted-gene syndromes, and studies on the etiology of schizophrenia and
autism, in the contexts of attachment and evolutionary-genetic theory.
8.5
Prader–Willi Syndrome
Haig and Wharton (2003) describe how the complacent nature of Prader–Willi
infants (with low levels of crying and wakefulness), and their compulsive selfforaging for food after the usual age of weaning, can be interpreted in the context of
reduced demands on mothers, as expected under imprinted-gene biases involving
loss of paternal-gene expression. Prader–Willi syndrome is known to centrally
involve hypothalamic alterations and relatively low levels of oxytocin (Swaab
et al. 1995; Holland et al. 2003; H€
oybye 2004; Goldstone 2006), which is consistent
with the oxytocin-reducing effects of Ndn gene knockouts in mice (Davies et al.
2008a, b) and the expected behavioral effects of lower oxytocin levels – reduced
motivation toward social bonding behavior. These considerations suggest that
Prader–Willi syndrome should involve insecure attachment in children, especially
among cases due to maternal uniparental disomy in which the genomic deviations
toward maternal imprinted-gene effects are more extensive. This suite of behavioral
and other alterations in Prader–Willi syndrome may involve, in part, disruptions to
genes that underlie a human-lineage trajectory toward earlier weaning and shorter
155
interbirth intervals (Sellen 2007; Haig 2009; Humphrey 2009), a transition expected
to impose strong selection in the context of maternal-offspring and imprinted-gene
conflicts given generally high rates of early-childhood mortality.
The extensions of attachment theory described here provide a simple, novel
hypothesis to help explain one of the other major features of Prader–Willi syndrome: the extremely high levels of affective psychosis upon reaching adolescence
(Soni et al. 2008; Webb et al. 2008). By this hypothesis, Prader–Willi infants and
children may essentially undergo a process of self-induced maternal deprivation,
whereby their low levels of care solicitation lead to reduced interaction with the
mother and dysregulated social-emotional development. The primary line of evidence supporting this hypothesis, in addition to the theory and data described
above, is that maternal deprivation, due to diverse causes including reduced physical care, temporary early separation, or permanent loss, is a well-documented,
highly penetrant causal factor in the etiologies of depression (e.g., Pesonen et al.
2007; Tyrka et al. 2008; Liu et al. 2009), schizophrenia (reviewed in Read and
Gumley 2008), and schizotypy (Anglin et al. 2008). Convergent evidence for
interactions of maternal deprivation with imprinted-gene expression comes from
a study of mice, where 2 (5.4%) of 37 genes significantly upregulated in the
hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of young mice in response to maternal
deprivation were imprinted (Gtl2 and Ipw), a higher proportion than expected
given an approximate 1.2% (120 of 10,000) (http://igc.otago.ac.nz/ table.html) of
brain-expressed genes imprinted in the mouse genome (P < 0.05).
To the extent that affective psychosis in Prader–Willi syndrome is mediated by
gene–environment interaction in this context, alterations to early maternal-social
environments, and facilitation of early bonding via behavioral and hormonal therapies, may help to alleviate the psychiatric sequelae of this large-scale epigenetic
disruption. Similar considerations should apply to genetic and epigenetic alterations
that yield phenotypes overlapping with Prader–Willi syndrome (Crespi 2008a) and,
perhaps, to effects from reduced size of the paraventricular nucleus in patients with
bipolar disorder and major depression, compared to controls (Manaye et al. 2005).
More generally, an evolutionary trajectory toward earlier weaning and shorter
interbirth intervals in humans might be expected to have increased vulnerability
to affective-psychotic conditions, unless attachment through alloparents and fathers
(Hrdy 2009) compensates for abbreviated maternal care.
8.6
Angelman Syndrome
In contrast to children with Prader–Willi syndrome, children with Angelman
syndrome are highly active, with reduced duration of sleep, frequent suckling
attempts, and enhanced levels of socially directed positive affect (Cohen et al.
2005; Oliver et al. 2007). These diverse phenotypes have been interpreted as
reflecting increased behavioral and energetic demands on the mother, as predicted
by the direction of imprinted-gene deviation, toward reduced relative effects from
the maternally expressed imprinted gene UBE3A (Oliver et al. 2007). Such an
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increased “set level” of demands imposed on mothers might be expected to lead to
insecure forms of attachment, unless the demands are met, whereupon socialemotional development should proceed as normally as possible under the circumstances of severe intellectual disability that characterize this syndrome. A high
prevalence of autistic traits in Angelman syndrome (Sahoo et al. 2006; Bonati et al.
2007; Jedele 2007) has also been interpreted in the context of selectively reduced
social-brain development and high demands imposed on the mother in the context
of paternal imprinted-gene bias (Brown and Consedine 2004; Isles et al. 2006;
Crespi and Badcock 2008).
8.7
Schizophrenia and Attachment
Schizophrenia represents a set of conditions, due to diverse causes, with some
combination of symptoms that may include hallucinations, delusions, thought
disorder, flat affect, and anhedonia (Read et al. 2004a, b). An attachment-theory
perspective on schizophrenia was first provided by Bowlby (1973, pages 174–177,
318–319), in his description of continuities between forms of abusive and dysfunctional psychological treatment of children by parents and the later development of
specific schizophrenic symptoms. Systematic analyses of attachment in relation to
aspects of schizotypy and schizophrenia (Berry et al. 2007, 2008; Gumley et al.
2008; Tiliopoulos and Goodall 2009) have documented higher than normal levels
of insecure attachment in these conditions, with general support for Bowlby’s
prediction of linkages between childhood experiences and psychotic-behavioral
profiles. Thus, in nonclinical populations avoidant attachment has been associated
with negative schizoptypal traits, and anxious attachment with positive schizotypy
(Wilson and Costanzo 1996; Berry et al. 2006); insecure attachment has also been
linked with paranoia in schizophrenia (Pickering et al. 2008), and disorganized
attachment may be related to dissociative cognitive states that accompany schizophrenia in some patients (Berry et al. 2008; Liotti and Gumley 2008).
One of the best-replicated patterns reported in families with an adolescent or
young-adult schizophrenic offspring is high levels of “expressed emotion” – some
mix of parental hostility, criticism, and over-involvement (Read et al. 2004a, b),
which commonly occurs in the context of emotional over-involvement by one or
both parents but low levels of actual care. Higher expressed-emotion predicts
higher rates of relapse after a first psychotic episode and also appears to be linked
with the initial development of schizophrenic symptoms themselves (Read and
Gumley 2008; Read et al. 2004a, b). The causal bases for such associations have
puzzled psychiatrists for many years, but perspectives from attachment theory and
genomic conflict offer novel, testable insights. Thus, parental over-involvement
might be expected to involve attempted control over offspring behavior, interfering
with the usual processes of physical and emotional separation of the child from
attachment figures, which becomes most pronounced in adolescence (Harrop and
Trower 2001). Moreover, extended controlling influences on the offspring psyche
157
by the mother – the “maternal brain” of genomic imprinting theory (Badcock 2009,
pages 154–157) – as expressed in the mother’s behavior and in maternal-gene
influences on development within her child – are expected to engender notably
higher risk of schizophrenia. Such a prediction is broadly compatible with maternal
imprinted-gene biases, and their correlates, being differentially associated with
higher schizophrenia risk (Crespi 2008a; Crespi and Badcock 2008), but additional,
targeted tests are required for robust evaluation. More generally, evolutionary
theory provides clear, specific predictions regarding the presence and causes of
conflicts within families (Emlen 1995, 1997; Surbey 1998), which underpin and
complement psychodynamic and socioeconomic perspectives on such conflicts, as
well as providing a basis for understanding conflicts within the minds of normal
“individuals”, and those beset with such conditions as schizophrenia or depression
(Read et al. 2004a, b; Haig 2006b; Badcock 2009). As Laing and Esterson (1970,
p. 12) inquired, “are the experiences and behaviour that psychiatrists take as
symptoms and signs of schizophrenia more socially intelligible than has come to
be supposed?”
Long-term prospective studies, using high-risk populations, are required to
evaluate patterns of cause and effect in relating childhood experiences and attachment patterns to the risks and forms of depression, schizophrenia, and other conditions. Evolutionary theory provides a conceptual framework to guide such
studies, a framework that is fully compatible with both a psychoanalytic focus on
childhood social-brain development in the family context and a strong role for
interactive genetic and epigenetic effects in modulation of risk. In this context, the
mother represents the primary environment of the child from conception until well
past weaning, an environment that intimately modifies gene expression, and neurodevelopment, in the growing child. As such, supportive public-health interventions during early child development and in adolescence, which are sensitive to the
main causes of conflicts within families, are expected to yield disproportionate
returns in reducing the incidence, severity, and recurrence of schizophrenia and
depression, and more generally increase emotional well-being in society (e.g.,
Gumley et al. 2008).
8.8
Autism and Attachment
Idiopathic autism represents a spectrum of related conditions, with many genetic,
epigenetic and environmental causes, characterized by differential underdevelopment of the social brain from earliest infancy (Kanner 1943; Happé 1994;
Abrahams and Geschwind 2008). A central focus in attachment-theory research
on autism has been whether or not autistic children can indeed develop secure
attachment with the mother, given that Kanner’s (1943) original description of
autism posited lack or disturbance of affective contact as a central feature. Rutgers
et al. (2004) reviewed 16 studies of attachment in autistic children, finding that
autism was associated with lower levels of secure attachment overall, but that this
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difference “disappeared in samples of children with higher mental development” or
less severe symptoms, suggesting that attachment security is compatible with at
least relatively high-functioning autism. In contrast, van Ijzendoorn et al. (2007)
and Rutter et al. (2009) question the applicability and validity of attachment theory
itself to autism, given the unusual nature of social relationships in this condition and
uncertainties concerning whether autistics can develop internal working models of
self and others, which form the bases for linguistic discourse. Psychological
perspectives based in Vygotsky’s work indicate, for example, that linguistic interactions with mother mediate childhood progress from listening, to private speech,
and eventually to inner speech as thoughts (Fernyhough 1996), a process that is
absent or underdeveloped in autism but may by contrast, be dysregulated via “reexpansion” in the auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia (Fernyhough 2004).
A general view of autism posits that under-development of the social brain
should, as described by Kanner, centrally involve weak social-emotional connections with other individuals. Such differential social deficits, however, need not
preclude relatively basic forms of attachment to the mother, as described by
Bowlby for mother–offspring relations across most mammals. Indeed, from the
perspective of parent–offspring conflicts and genomic imprinting, some subset of
autism cases might also be considered to involve pathological overexpression of
increased levels of demand imposed on mothers by offspring (Badcock and Crespi
2006; Crespi and Badcock 2008). Such demand may be imposed either directly,
through behaviors that solicit forms of investment as in Angelman syndrome, or
indirectly, through self-oriented, nonsocial behavior that precludes or delays physical independence, requiring mothers or others to provide longer-term, more highly
intensive care. This hypothesis is concordant with several lines of evidence,
including (1) accelerated brain and body growth in young children with autism
and increased relative effects from paternally expressed imprinted genes (Crespi
and Badcock 2008), (2) imprinted-gene effects on reaction to novelty, and dispersal, in mice (Isles et al. 2002; Plagge et al. 2005), (3) a higher incidence of
autism in males, who are more costly than females to rear (Gibson and Mace 2003;
Rickard et al. 2007; Tamimi et al. 2003), (4) myriad reports of close and sustained,
if atypical, relationships between mothers and their autistic children (e.g., Hoffman
et al. 2009), and (5) temperaments of autistic children that involve higher rates of
activity, impulsivity, and noncompliance (e.g., Garon et al. 2009).
The degree to which autism spectrum traits in nonclinical populations actually
engender higher levels of early maternal or biparental investment has yet to be
investigated, and indeed, many childhood social abilities are expected to have evolved
in the context of soliciting higher investment from mother via providing her with
positive-affect emotional benefits contingent on social skill development (e.g., Hrdy
1999), in addition to imposing negative-affect costs through behaviors such as refusal,
tantrums, and, perhaps, insistence on sameness. For analyzing behavioral interactions
between mothers and offspring, it is crucial to bear in mind that “disorders” such as
autism are postulated to represent sequelae to dysregulation of mechanisms that
evolved in contexts of both conflict and cooperation, with evolutionary and behavioral
conflicts potentiating increased levels of risk (Crespi 2010).
159
A primary implication of attachment theory, and behavioral-evolutionary genetics, for elucidating the causes of autism, is that early-childhood social motivation, in
the context of “demands” imposed on mothers via physical, social-emotional, and
linguistic interactions, should drive cascading effects on social-brain development
that are either normal or deviate toward autistic phenotypes. The neurological and
endocrine bases for social motivation and affective bonding in infants (e.g., Bowlby
1969 p. 203–204; Moriceau and Sullivan 2005; Grossmann et al. 2008) and children
(e.g., Bartz and Hollander 2008) have been much less studied than those in mothers
(e.g., Strathearn et al. 2009), though their relevance for understanding mother–child
interactions should be no less consequential. Studies of plasma oxytocin levels in
autism have yielded unusual results: two studies found lower plasma oxytocin in
children with autism (Modahl et al. 1998; Green et al. 2001), but unexpectedly,
oxytocin levels were positively associated with degree of social impairment
(Modahl et al. 1998); in the single study of adults, autistic individuals showed
significantly higher levels of plasma oxytocin than did controls (Jansen et al.
2006). Might oxytocin in autistics subserve, to some degree, positive reinforcement
of nonsocial stimuli, or might epigenetically based reduction of oxytocin receptor
expression (Gregory et al. 2009) follow from early social-interaction deficits?
The m-opioid system represents another important candidate mechanism, in addition to oxytocin, for neuroendocrine regulation of attachment, given links of allelic
variants in the m-opioid receptor gene OPRM1 with attachment patterns, sensitivity to
social rejection, drug dependence, and risk of schizophrenia (Insel 2003; Barr et al.
2008; Way et al. 2009; Mague and Blendy 2010; Serý et al. 2010) and evidence for
parent-of-origin effects influencing phenotypic effects of this gene (Lemire 2005).
8.9
An Imprinted-Gene Network for Attachment
of the Social Brain
Three lines of evidence (1) demonstrations that imprinted-gene expression and
coexpression centrally mediate prenatal and postnatal growth, (2) diverse forms
of data on imprinted-gene expression effects in the brain, and (3) expectations from
theory that mother–offspring interactions should involve genomic conflicts, lead to
the prediction that a brain-specific imprinted-gene coexpression network should
exist, and should modulate aspects of human mother–child attachment. The presence of such a network in humans was evaluated by testing statistically for
differentially frequent coexpression of brain-expressed imprinted genes, compared
to expression of imprinted genes with other genes independent of imprinting status.
For each of the 64 verified human imprinted genes (http://igc.otago.ac.nz/table.
html), a set of highly coexpressed genes were generated using the Gemma coexpression database (http://www.chibi.ubc.ca/Gemma/searchCoexpression.html).
These sets of coexpressed genes were combined to generate a list of genes that
were highly coexpressed with four or more imprinted genes. The list comprised 188
genes in all, of which approximately 0.6% (64/~10,000 total brain-expressed genes)
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should be imprinted under a null model of coexpression random with regard to
imprinting status. Six (3.1%) of the 188 coexpressed genes were imprinted, an
approximate fivefold excess (P < 0.001). The highly coexpressed imprinted genes
included PEG3 and NDN, two genes that mediate development of oxytocin-secreting neurons (Davies et al. 2008a, b); NDN may also be involved in the risk of
schizophrenia (Le-Niculescu et al. 2007), and both PEG3 and NDN are members of
a network of genes differentially coexpressed in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics (module 16 of Torkamani et al. 2010). Additional relatively highly
coexpressed genes in the network included three genes with genetic-association
or copy-number variation links to both autism and schizophrenia, CNTNAP2,
NRXN1, and BOLA2 (reviewed in Crespi et al. 2010; coexpressed with 6, 7, and
11 imprinted genes, respectively). Additional data implicating this network, and
imprinting effects, in autism and schizophrenia include (1) the presence of parentof-origin effects for the associations of CNTNAP2 with autism (Arking et al. 2008)
and for the speech-language associated gene FOXP2 (Feuk et al. 2006) that interacts directly with CNTNAP2 (Vernes et al. 2008), and (2) colocalization of the
imprinted, schizophrenia-associated gene LRRTM1 (Francks et al. 2007) with
NRXN1 at glutamatergic synapses (Brose 2009).
This analysis requires replication using other datasets, and more detailed bioinformatic dissection of coexpression patterns, but it provides preliminary evidence of
interactions between brain-expressed imprinted genes that mediate aspects of
mother–offspring interaction and social-brain disorders. The existence and structure
of brain-specific imprinted-gene network should have important implications for
pharmacological interventions; for example, of the 11 genes most highly altered in
expression from treatment of mice with the mood-stabilizer drug valproic acid
(Chetcuti et al. 2006), two are imprinted (Peg3 and Sfmbt2), one is predicted to be
imprinted (Zic1)(Luedi et al. 2007), one interacts directly with the imprinted gene
Wt1 (Par-4)(Richard et al. 2001), and one (Kcna1) interacts directly with Cntnap2
(Strauss et al. 2006). Such a striking concentration of imprinted-gene related expression changes is consistent with the molecular function of valproic acid as a histone
deacetylase inhibitor, an agent that exhibits differential epigenetic effects on
imprinted genes (e.g., Baqir and Smith 2006); moreover, valproic acid during
human or rodent pregnancy is a highly penetrant cause of autism in offspring
(Rinaldi et al. 2008; Dufour-Rainfray et al. 2010), and valproic acid partially restores
levels of MeCP2 in a mouse model of Rett syndrome (Vecsler et al. 2010). Might
such epigenetic treatments exert their effects though canalizing or decanalizing
neurological-pathway functions of interacting imprinted genes?
8.10
Conclusions
Understanding human social development requires integration of theory and data
from diverse, highly specialized, disciplines, including genetics, development,
neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. Conrad Waddington’s still-nascent
161
science of epigenetics serves as a conceptual and experimental platform to connect
social-environmental variation with the gene-expression patterns that drive development, as genes and family, especially the mother, jointly sculpt developing
brains. Like other traits, epigenetic landscapes of social development have evolved,
subject to the conflicts and confluences of genetic interest that form the cornerstone
of modern evolutionary theory. Effects of parent–offspring conflicts, and the
intragenomic conflicts of imprinting, are predicted from such theory to modulate
normal development and to potentiate specific directions and forms of maladaptive
trajectory, due to genetic, epigenetic, and social-environmental perturbations. As
such, dovetailing of predictions from evolutionary genetics and epigenetics with the
conceptual constructs and experimental tools of developmental psychology, neuroscience, and epigenetics should yield novel insights into the evolutionary underpinnings of the human social brain and its disorders, and the strategies of the genes
involved.
Acknowledgments I am grateful to Christopher Badcock, David Haig, Sarah Hrdy, and Felicity
Larson for comments, and Paul Pavlidis for advice.
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.
Chapter 9
Genomic Imprinting Effects on Brain
and Behavior: Future Directions
Anthony R. Isles and Lawrence S. Wilkinson
Abstract Studies over the last 15 years have indicated that genomic imprinting is
important for brain function. However, much of the focus has been on the role that
imprinted genes play in mediating fetal and early postnatal growth, and maternal
behavior. Nevertheless, there is now a growing body of evidence to suggest that
many imprinted genes are expressed in many different areas of the adult brain.
Moreover, these genes also influence a wide range of behavior and aspects of
cognition. Here, we provide an overview of these data and give pointers to
interesting new aspects of imprinted gene function in the brain. We also discuss
how genomic imprinting may have evolved in the human brain and the extent to
which imprinted genes impact on mental illness.
Keywords Epigenetics Evolution Imprinted genes Monoamines Neurodevelopment
9.1
Introduction
Unlike the majority of genes where there is equivalent expression from both
inherited copies of a gene (alleles), imprinted genes are subjected to epigenetic
modifications during germ cell development that lead to paternal and maternal
alleles having different levels of activity. This means that despite the presence of a
maternal and paternal allele in the DNA, one of these parental alleles is essentially
silenced and expression is monoallelic. This silencing is robust and stable across
generations; for instance, the imprinted gene Necdin is always expressed only
A.R. Isles (*) and L.S. Wilkinson
Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Schools
of Medicine and Psychology, Cardiff University, Henry Wellcome Building, Heath Park Campus,
14 4XN Cardiff, UK
e-mail: IslesAR1@cardiff.ac.uk; WilkinsonL@cardiff.ac.uk
169
170
A.R. Isles and L.S. Wilkinson
from the paternal allele. Although imprinted gene representation in mammalian
genomes is small (there are currently ~130 recognized imprinted genes in mice),
they are absolutely crucial for normal development and function. Mouse embryos
manipulated to have either only a paternal or only a maternal genome are
malformed and die before mid-gestation (Barton et al. 1984; McGrath and Solter
1984). Since this early pioneering work, individual imprinted genes have been
characterized and it is now clear that imprinted genes play a key role in three
major areas: placental physiology, fetal, and preweaning growth (Constancia
et al. 2004); energy metabolism (Smith et al. 2006); and brain development and
behavior (Wilkinson et al. 2007).
9.1.1
Evolution of Genomic Imprinting
Despite their apparent rarity in the genome, genes that are subjected to imprinting
are (at least part of the time) effectively haploid, thus negating the apparent benefits
of diploidy (increased genetic diversity and reduced exposure to deleterious alleles)
(Goddard et al. 2005; Orr 1995). This is an evolutionary conundrum, and consequently, why imprinting has evolved is subject to much debate and several theories
have been put forward (Curley et al. 2004; Hurst and McVean 1997, 1998; Moore
and Haig 1991; Varmuza and Mann 1994; Wolf and Hager 2006). Two of these –
the “intragenomic conflict” and “coadaptation” theories – provide an explanation
for many of the widely observed physiological roles of imprinted genes (Keverne
and Curley 2008; Moore and Haig 1991; Wolf and Hager 2006).
The intragenomic conflict theory, which was developed with kinship ideas in
mind and is an extension of the classic “parent–offspring” conflict (Trivers 1974),
suggests that where asymmetries of relatedness between maternal and paternal
genes exist, there will be a conflict of interests between parental genomes over
certain aspects of physiology (Haig 1997). These asymmetries of relatedness occur
in developing fetuses as a consequence of multiple paternities, either within or
between pregnancies. Consequently, maternally derived genes are always shared
between siblings, but this is not necessarily true for paternal genes. Within an
offspring, paternal genes would be predicted to attempt to increase resources from
the mother, whereas maternally derived genes would limit any effect as this would
not maximize the mother’s (and therefore the maternal genes) overall reproductive
output (Moore and Haig 1991). This imbalance leads to an “arms race” involving
expression levels of maternal and paternal copies of a gene, ultimately resulting in
the silencing of one parental allele. This intragenomic conflict can also be seen at a
physiological level, as illustrated in the mouse by the Igf2–Igf2r system. The
insulin-like growth factor type 2 (Igf2) is a paternally expressed growth enhancer,
whereas the insulin-like growth factor type 2 receptor (Igf2r) is a maternally
expressed growth inhibitor that binds Igf2 and targets it for degradation (Haig
and Graham 1991).
9 Genomic Imprinting Effects on Brain and Behavior
171
By contrast, the coadaptation theory suggests that genomic imprinting occurs in
mammals as a means to coordinate the evolution of provisioning of offspring preand postnatally. In this context, the monoallelic expression of imprinted genes is a
means by which their “evolvability” is accelerated (Keverne and Curley 2008). This
is because haploid expression, while increasing exposure to deleterious alleles, also
has the advantage over diploid expression of rapid fixation of an advantageous trait
in a population (Greig and Travisano 2003); although this effect is presumably
lessened by the fact that monoallelic expression results in higher than average
recombination rates (Necsulea et al. 2009). It is thought that the development of a
placenta and maternal care in mammals is an area of function where such rapid
fixation of any selective advantage is important, leading to the evolution of
imprinted genes influencing these aspects of physiology (Keverne and Curley
2008; Wolf and Hager 2006).
This idea was originally developed in light of the identification of two separate
paternally expressed genes in the mouse (Paternally expressed 1 and Paternally
expressed 3), both of which were found to effect placental function and fetal
growth, and maternal care in adult females (Lefebvre et al. 1998; Li et al. 1999).
Further analysis also revealed that Peg3 was not only important for mothers
providing postnatal care and feeding, but was also involved in the neonates’ ability
to suckle (Curley et al. 2004). The idea proposed was that the high turnover of the
genes down the paternal line would provide the platform for the rapid coadaptation
of these in utero and postnatal provisioning and care (Keverne and Curley 2008).
Recently, a similar argument, based on the adaptive integration of offspring and
maternal genomes, has been made for the evolution of maternally expressed
imprinted genes (Wolf and Hager 2006).
Both of these theories provide an explanation for a large proportion of the
observed physiological effects of imprinted gene; although no one theory can
account for all occurrences. However, with regards to the adult brain, at present,
the coadaptation theory offers only an explanation for the role of imprinted genes in
the hypothalamus controlling maternal behavior (something the intragenomic conflict theory struggles with) and yet imprinted genes are now known to be expressed
in many brain regions and influence many other behaviors.
9.2
9.2.1
Imprinted Gene Expression in the Brain
Early Findings
Seminal mouse studies in the mid 1990s revealed that imprinted genes are likely to
contribute significantly to brain development, and also indicated potentially dissociable (and possibly antagonistic) influences of paternally and maternally
expressed genes on this process. Briefly, chimeric mice were created, which
contained either a mixture of androgenetic (AG) (containing two paternal genomes
172
but no maternal genome) and normal cells, or a mixture of parthenogenetic/gynogenetic (PG/GG) (containing two maternal genomes but no paternal genome) and
normal cells. “PG/GG chimeras” displayed relatively large brain:body ratios,
whereas “AG chimeras” displayed relatively small brain:body size ratios, implying
that one or more imprinted genes have profound effects on brain size (Allen et al.
1995; Keverne et al. 1996a). Specifically, the data seem to indicate that the overall
effect of maternally expressed genes is to enhance brain size, whereas the combined
effect of paternally expressed genes is to limit brain growth. More interesting
perhaps, was the fact that the distribution of the PG/GG and AG cells in the two
types of chimera was reciprocal, with PG/GG cells contributing mainly to the
neocortex, and AG cells contributing more to the hypothalamic, septal, and preoptic
areas. This provided the first suggestion that imprinted genes of different parental
origins may have differential “interests” with regards to the brain. These effects
may represent either the combined effects of many paternally and maternally
expressed imprinted genes, or the actions of one or two imprinted genes of major
effect. If the former is the case, we may expect maternally expressed imprinted
genes to be disproportionately expressed in neocortical regions and paternally
expressed imprinted genes to be disproportionately expressed in hypothalamic
and septal regions; this is not exactly the case (Davies et al. 2005b) and the answer
is probably somewhere in between. In reality, the distribution of AG and PG/GG
cells in the two types of chimera probably points to where the interests of maternaland paternal-imprinted genes in the brain lie when unfettered by the action of
opposing parental alleles.
9.2.2
New Genes
Since those pioneering experiments, many imprinted genes (~90%) have been
shown to be brain expressed. We have published a number of reviews detailing
the characteristics of imprinted genes in the brain (Davies et al. 2005b) and also
have produced a freely accessible online database of imprinted genes expressed in
the brain (Davies et al. 2007). However, a number of new brain-expressed
imprinted genes have recently been identified, partly due to the development of
new screening methods (Schulz et al. 2006). Many of these have been identified in
humans, often via the study of neurodevelopmental (Francks et al. 2003, 2007;
Wawrzik et al. 2010) or psychiatric disease (Francks et al. 2003, 2007); the possible
importance of this is discussed later.
One criticism that is often leveled at the imprinting community is that despite
their developmental importance, there is a relative paucity of imprinted genes in the
mammalian genome. Although a number of imprinted microRNAs have recently
been identified, the overall number of imprinted gene still remains low, being
around 130 (Beechey et al. 2003). In light of this criticism, it will be interesting
to see the impact of more focused association studies aimed at identifying traits and
diseases showing parent of origin effects (Kong et al. 2009). However, probably
173
more important to the discovery of novel imprinted genes is the development of
next-generation sequencing methods (Mardis 2008). It has been known for some
time that a number of imprinted genes, particularly in the brain, show complex
patterns of epigenetic regulation (Albrecht et al. 1997; Yamasaki et al. 2003). The
result of this is that some genes are only imprinted in certain tissues (or brain
regions) and/or certain developmental time points, while being expressed in a
biallelic manner in others (Davies et al. 2005b). In the past, this subtle regulation
would have been a hindrance to the identification of new imprinted genes. However, next-generation sequencing technologies are capable of producing tens of
millions of sequence reads from very little input material. This is expected to
revolutionize how we analyze gene expression and would, for instance, allow the
quantification of allelic expression from discrete tissue samples.
9.2.3
Filling in the Details
In addition to identifying new candidates, interest in the physiological function of
imprinted genes continues to grow within the imprinting community. This has led
to the gaps in our knowledge of the expression patterns and neural function of
previously known brain-expressed imprinted genes being filled. In particular, the
neural and biochemical role of a number of imprinted genes of relevance to disease,
such as Ube3a (Greer et al. 2010; van Woerden et al. 2007; Yashiro et al. 2009) and
Necdin (Kuwajima et al. 2006; Kuwako et al. 2005; Zanella et al. 2008), have been
studied in some detail.
One striking recent finding is the relative importance of two paternally expressed
brain-specific small nucleolar (sno)RNA molecules, snord115 and snord116 (formerly known as mbii-52 and mbii-85, respectively). snoRNAs are noncoding and
thought to negatively regulate posttranscriptional modification (alternate splicing
and RNA editing) of other pre-RNA species (Kishore and Stamm 2006). snord116
is strongly expressed in the hypothalamus, suggesting a role in regulating feeding
and metabolism. Although its target genes have not been identified, a knockout of
snord116 has demonstrated that its loss has important consequences for early
postnatal survival and homeostasis and therefore makes it a key candidate for the
imprinting disorder Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) (Ding et al. 2008). More
recently, a study of a clinical case has confirmed that loss of SNORD116 is the
main (but probably not sole – Peters 2008) contributor to the phenotype of the
imprinting disorder PWS (Sahoo et al. 2008).
The second snoRNA, SNORD115, is also part of the PWS-imprinting cluster, but
unlike SNORD116, its targets and mode of action are much better understood.
SNORD115 has a clear complimentary region for serotonin 2C receptor (5htr2c)
pre-RNA exon Vb, a region that is subjected to both RNA editing and alternate
splicing (Cavaille et al. 2000) and shows a reasonable overlap in expression with
5htr2c found in cortical regions, the hippocampus, striatum and hypothalamus
(Vitali et al. 2005). Loss of snord115 in a mouse model for PWS results in increased
174
Fig. 9.1 Predicted pattern of two key serotonin 2C receptor protein isoforms in PWS mouse
model brain. Data are based on the pattern of RNA editing as revealed by sequencing analysis
(Doe et al. 2009). The INI isoform results as a consequence of no RNA editing, and is completely
absent in PWS mouse brain. The VSV is the most abundant in brain and results as a consequence of
editing at most of the five potential sites in the 5htr2c pre-RNA. This is significantly increased in
PWS mouse brain
levels of RNA editing across the five edited sites in exon Vb of the 5htr2c pre-RNA.
Such adenosine-to-inosine editing has consequences for the receptor protein function as inosine behaves like a guanine in translation, resulting in altered amino acid
sequence. Bioinformatic analysis indicates that the pattern of serotonin receptor
protein isoforms in the PWS mouse model brain is significantly altered, with a
decrease in functional, and an increase in less function variants (Fig. 9.1).
9.2.3.1
Genomic Imprinting and the Monoamine System
More detailed analysis of imprinted genes expressed in the brain has thrown up the
beginnings of an interesting pattern relating to monoamine system. A number of
imprinted genes are now known to influence the function of one or more of the
members of the monoamines (see Table 9.1). Some genes, such as Necdin, may be
having general neurodevelopmental effects (Zanella et al. 2008) or they are not
centrally important to monoamine function like Ddc (Menheniott et al. 2008).
However, many more others, such as Th, 5htr2a, and the snoRNA snord115
described above, are directly linked to the efficacy of monoamine function in
the brain.
Most interesting of all perhaps is the overlap in expression of Dlk1, Nesp, and
Grb10 in the brain (Jensen et al. 2001; Plagge et al. 2005). All three of these genes
are expressed in discrete regions of the brain, but show important overlap in the
locus ceoreleus and raphe nuclei. These two midbrain regions are important for
noradrenergic and serotonergic projections to forebrain. Furthermore, Dlk1 and
Grb10 are also expressed in the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area and the
substantia nigra. This striking overlap in expression ties all three of these imprinted
Table 9.1 Imprinted gene involvement in the monoamine system
Gene(s)
Parental
Relation to monoamine system
expression
Dlk1
Paternal
Expressed in areas with monoaminergic
projections to forebrain. Involved in
dopamine neuron differentiation
Nesp
Maternal
projections to forebrain, including locus
coeruleus and dorsal raphe nucleus
Grb10
Paternal
projections to forebrain, including
locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus,
and striatum
Th
Maternal
Tyrosine hydroxylase; upstream enzyme in the
production of dopamine and noradrenaline
important in many aspects of monamine
mediated behavior
CDKN1C Maternal
Cooperates with Nurr1 in directing
dopaminergic neuron differentiation
H19-IGF2 Maternal and Many of the genes in this interval are highly
paternal
expressed in dopaminergic progenitor cells
5HTR2A
Maternal
Serotonin receptor 2A
Magel2
Paternal
snord115
Paternal
Ddc
Paternal
Necdin
Paternal
Mice lacking magel2 show altered serotonin
metabolism in the cortex and reduced
dopamine in hypothalamus
Regulates posttranscriptional modification of
the serotonin 2C receptor
Dopa decarboxylase; imprinted in heart
Modulation of seronergic innervation of
respiratory system
175
References
Jacobs et al.
(2009)
Plagge et al.
(2005)
Palmiter (2008)
Joseph et al.
(2003)
Freed et al. (2008)
Bunzel et al.
(1998), Kato
et al. (1996)
Mercer et al.
(2009)
Doe et al. (2009)
Menheniott et al.
(2008)
Zanella et al.
(2008)
genes (two paternally and one maternally expressed) to key areas in monoaminergic
function. Nevertheless, thus far, only Dlk1 has been explicitly shown to be important in dopamine neuron differentiation (Christophersen et al. 2007; Jacobs et al.
2009; Jensen et al. 2001). Although loss of Nesp and Grb10 results in behavioral
changes (Plagge et al. 2005), it is not clear as yet whether these behavioral changes
are due to specific alterations in monoamines.
9.3
Behavior
Much of the original work on imprinted genes in the brain has centered
on mother–pup interactions. Deficits were seen in two mouse models, null for
Peg1 and Peg3. In addition to mothering deficits in the adults, Peg3 null pups
also show poor postnatal development, such as soliciting suckling and homeostasis
176
(Curley et al. 2004). This pattern of physiological deficit has been seen in a number
of other imprinted gene mutants (Plagge et al. 2004; Skryabin et al. 2007) and is
also seen in the children with PWS (Haig and Wharton 2003). Whether these early
life deficits have knock-on effects for adult behavior is a distinct possibility (Francis
et al. 1999) and has been suggested as a possible cause of the psychiatric problems
seen in genomic imprinting syndromes such as PWS (Isles and Holland 2005).
However, just as it has become increasingly recognized that imprinted genes are
expressed in the adult brain, it has become clear that many may also directly
influence other adult behaviors. Apart from the Peg1 and Peg3 studies, much
work has focused on those imprinted genes within the PWS cluster. Many of
these genes are expressed primarily in the hypothalamus, and the behavioral studies
reflect this. As such, in addition to maternal behavior, we now know that imprinted
genes influence sexual behavior (Swaney et al. 2007), circadian rhythms (Kozlov
et al. 2007), feeding, and homeostasis (Ding et al. 2008). Nevertheless, as we have
outlined earlier, imprinted genes are also found in many other brain regions,
including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and areas of importance
for mediating neurotransmitter innervations of cortical regions.
9.3.1
Attention, Impulsivity, and Behavioral Flexibility
There is a growing body of work demonstrating that imprinted genes are also
important for aspects of cognition. This includes some molecules with well-established roles in learning and memory such as the ubiquitin protein ligase E3A
encoded by the maternally expressed Ube3a gene (Jiang et al. 1998), and the
paternally expressed Ras signaling molecule Grf1 (Brambilla et al. 1997; Giese
et al. 2001).
Given increasing prominence of imprinted genes in monoamine function, it is not
unsurprising that genomic imprinting has also been found to impact on other discrete
aspects of cognition. Recently, independent studies of people with PWS and a mouse
model for PWS have demonstrated deficits in executive function. Typically, individuals with PWS have mild learning difficulties as indicated by a general reduction in
IQ scores (Whittington et al. 2004). Although explicit psychological testing is
limited, it is known that there is a reduced ability in attention and visuoperceptual
organization in the PWS subjects when compared with the normal population
(Jauregi et al. 2007) and even when corrected for general intellectual ability (Woodcock et al. 2009). The work on the animal model for PWS used the 5-choice serial
reaction time task (5-CSRTT), which is a form of continuous performance task,
assays components of executive functioning, taxing aspects of visuospatial attention
and inhibitory control, and has been extensively characterized as a valid crossspecies behavioral test (Humby et al. 1999; Robbins 2002). The findings from the
5-CSRTT point to reduced attentional capabilities in the PWS mice. Although the
animals could acquire the task to our criteria levels, their baseline performance was
impaired across three main measures: with PWS animals showing decreased
177
accuracy, increased omissions, and slower correct reaction times. Moreover, under a
task manipulation considered to tax attentional functioning (reduced stimulus duration), the PWS mice displayed increased deficits relative to controls. These animal
data are coupled with clinical findings demonstrate a specific contribution of the
paternally expressed genes in the PWS interval to attention.
Another aspect of cognition upon which genomic imprinting impacts is response
control, or the processes that are involved in what is more generally known as
impulsivity and behavioral flexibility. In fact, genomic imprinting has been linked
with impulsive behavior previously, though not explicitly (Higley and Linnoila
1997; Higley et al. 1993). However, recent work has now unambiguously linked
genomic imprinting with different aspects of response control. This includes the
maternally expressed Nesp55, which when deleted reduces the willingness of mice
to explore a novel environment (Plagge et al. 2005); and studies of mice monosomic
for the X chromosome, which have shown that lack of a paternal X gives rise to
deficits in behavioral flexibility on a reversal learning task (Davies et al. 2005a).
Nevertheless, thus far, only one study has really explored the impact of an
imprinted gene on the neural substrates of impulsive behavior. As outlined earlier,
the snoRNA snord115 plays an important role in the regulation of posttranscriptional modification of the 5htr2c pre-RNA. Consequently, in a mouse model of
PWS that lacks expression snord115, there is an increase in abundance of the less
functional isoforms of serotonin 2C receptor (5HT2CR) (Fig. 9.1). The 5HT2CR
plays an important role in modulating aspects of response control, which when
measured in the 5-CSRTT is due to its specific effects on dopamine release in the
nucleus accumbens (Robinson et al. 2008). When behavior of mice lacking
snord115 in the 5-CSRTT is probed with 5HT2CR selective drugs, an enhanced
increase in impulsivity is seen relative to controls (Doe et al. 2009). This effect is
specific, as drugs for 5HT2AR have no differential effect. This work indicates that
the paternally expressed snord115 is an important factor in mediating 5HT2CR
controlled impulsivity.
9.4
Evolution of Imprinted Genes in the Human Brain
The development of genomic imprinting in animals (true genomic imprinting has
also evolved independently in plants – Kinoshita et al. 1999) seems to be linked with
the evolution of mammals (Renfree et al. 2009). This suggests that key aspects of
being mammalian, namely in utero development, a placenta, and postnatal parental
care, were the original driving forces in the evolution of imprinting; the extensive
role of imprinted genes in these functions (Constancia et al. 2004) would point to this
being true. However, recent data from parental expression and/or epigenetic marking studies of imprinted genes known to influence in utero growth in rodents indicate
that many have lost their monoallelic status in humans (Isles 2009). This would
imply that the selective pressure on maintenance of the imprinting status of genes
in the placenta and developing fetus is reduced or absent in humans. Thus far, two
178
explanations for this have been suggested, namely the fact that human reproductive
strategies have change (Monk et al. 2006) and that increased resourcing of the later
stage fetus is not desirable due to our bipedalism (Isles 2009).
Nevertheless, while the importance of imprinted genes in the placenta and
prenatal growth in humans is diminished, the opposite may be true of imprinted
genes in the brain. Certainly, a key area where imprinted genes exert an influence is
the early postnatal period. Several studies in mice (Curley et al. 2004; Ding et al.
2005; Plagge et al. 2004; Shiura et al. 2005; Skryabin et al. 2007) and human
disorders (Haig and Wharton 2003) have indicated that in addition to in utero,
imprinted genes can also impact upon nutrient acquisition and growth while the
offspring are still dependent on their mother for feeding. Indeed, the rapid increase
in body weight and size over the first year of life (Bluestone 2005), coupled with the
extended dependence of human offspring for nutritional support (Sellen 2007),
make postnatal feeding an important arena for imprinted genes (Haig 2010).
Moreover, the acquisition of “social resources” (in addition to nutritional resources)
from the mother (Horsler and Oliver 2006; Isles and Holland 2005; Oliver et al.
2007) during this crucial neurodevelopmental period may also be an important
substrate for the evolution of genomic imprinting; these ideas are developed further
elsewhere within this book (Bernard Crespi 2010). However, it is increasingly clear
that some imprinted genes have an important role in the brain beyond this mother–
offspring interaction. Furthermore, although much of the work on these adult brain
expressed imprinted genes has been carried out in rodents, there is a suggestion that
this role may be increasingly important in humans.
Although it is highly likely that the driving force behind the evolution of genomic
imprinting was the development of an extended pregnancy and parental care, once
established other selective pressures may have led genomic imprinting to be coopted to act on other functions, such as brain and behavior. There is some evidence
for this; a number of brain expressed imprinted genes such as Neuronatin (Evans
et al. 2005) and Nesp (Gavin Kelsey pers. comm.) appear only later in the Eutherian
mammalian lineages. Interestingly, there appears to be even more enrichment in
humans, with the genes LRRTM1, C15ORF2, and 5HTR2A only occurring or being
imprinted in the human brain (Francks et al. 2003, 2007; Wawrzik et al. 2010).
Although these data are limited, they do provide a tantalizing suggestion that
genomic imprinting in the brains of humans may be particularly important. Obviously, of direct relevance to this question is the analysis of imprinted genes in other
species of primates; unfortunately much of the data we have simply allows a
comparison between mouse and human. However, two separate studies of brainexpressed imprinted genes have directly addressed the question of whether these
genes are particularly important for humans. As mentioned earlier, paternally
expressed C15ORF2 is only found in man, but more detailed analysis has also
pointed to the fact that it has been positively selected through human evolution
(Wawrzik et al. 2010). Similarly, the maternally expressed Klf14 has also undergone accelerated evolution in humans (Parker-Katiraee et al. 2007). However, this
gene is also present (and imprinted) in mice, suggesting that the positive selection is
very much related to some key changes in the human lineage.
179
What selective pressures have led to this is not clear at present. One idea links
back to the original work with mouse chimeras demonstrating differential distribution of PG/GG (maternal genomes only) and AG (paternal genome only) cells in the
brain (Keverne et al. 1996b). The distinct brain regions to which PG/GG and AG
cells contribute have also evolved differentially in primates. While the frontal
cortex and striatal areas have expanded relative to the rest of the brain, the
hypothalamus and septum have contracted in size. The forebrain areas that have
expanded are thought to have done so due to the selective pressure of living in
social groups and all complexities of social behavior which that entails. In the
majority of primate societies, the maintenance of social cohesion and group continuity over successive generations is dependent on the matriline; these are also in the
“interests” of the maternal genome, which is more likely to be shared among the
members of the group. It seems more than coincidental that the areas of brain
expansion required for living in social groups are also those to which the maternal
genome makes a substantial developmental contribution. In humans, social behavior is taken to another level and so it may be the case that the importance of
imprinted genes in the brain has also increased.
9.4.1
Consequences of Genomic Imprinting for Mental Illness
Whether or not they are adaptive, the increased numbers of imprinted genes
expressed in the human brain may still be important contributors to abnormal
brain function, particularly those with pleiotropic effects where any secondary
phenotypes may be suboptimal as a result of the intragenomic conflict (Wilkins
2010). Indeed, there is an increasing evidence to suggest that this is the case not
only from imprinting syndromes, such as PWS and Angelman syndrome, but also
from other genome-wide studies of mental illness.
The contribution of genomic imprinting to disease may actually be amplified as
the tight regulation of imprinted genes means that in addition to classic coding
changes, they are also particularly susceptible to any mutations that cause alterations in expression levels. This added vulnerability may occur in two ways: either
incorrect epigenetic regulation of the genes or changes in the dosage. The former
has not been well explored, although the increased incidence of imprinting syndromes in individuals born as a result assisted reproductive technologies hints at the
potential problems (Isles and Wilkinson 2008). The consequences of alterations in
gene dosage have recently been revealed in a number of genome-wide studies
linking Copy Number Variations (CNVs) with neuropsychiatric problems.
Among those areas identified as important contributors to mental illness is the
PWS-imprinted gene interval, 15q11–q13. This region has been linked in a number
of independent studies to both schizophrenia (Kirov et al. 2009; Stefansson et al.
2008) and autism (Glessner et al. 2009; Sebat et al. 2007), with maternal duplications being particularly problematic (Cook et al. 1997; Schroer et al. 1998).
180
Note added in proof Some new and exciting results have been published since this article was
submitted. Firstly, next-generation sequencing techniques have been used to examine the parentof-origin specific expression bias in the brains of reciprocal cross F1 mouse sub-strains. These
studies revealed existence of approximately 1300 genes showing a parent-of-origin specific bias in
their expression (Gregg et al. Science 329:643–8 and Science 329:682–5). Moreover, these studies
identified the hypothalamus and monoaminergic regions (noradrenergic locus coeruleus, serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus and dopaminergic Nucleus accumbens and Ventral tegmental area) as
being key hotspots for expression of these candidate imprinted genes. Supporting this idea was a
recent paper examining the brain expression of the imprinted gene Grb10. This too was expressed
in these specific brain regions and also appeared to co-localise with the dopamine transporter
(Garfield et al. Nature 469:534–38).
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Chapter 10
Epigenetic Influence of the Social Environment
Frances A. Champagne and James P. Curley
Abstract Social experiences occurring during infancy have been demonstrated to
exert persistent effects on neurobiological and behavioral outcomes. This social
modulation of the developing brain has been observed in humans and animal
models of abuse, neglect, and variation in parental style. Although the mechanisms
through which these effects are achieved likely involve diverse cellular and molecular pathways, there is emerging evidence supporting the hypothesis that epigenetic
changes, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, may mediate the
effects of early life variations in the social interactions between mothers and
infants. Moreover, there may be plasticity within these epigenetic pathways at
later developmental time points, such that the social experiences of juveniles and
adults may also induce epigenetic change. These findings have implications for
behavioral variation observed both within and across generations and highlight the
dynamic interactions occurring between genes and environments during the course
of development.
Keywords Abuse Epigenetic Maternal Neglect Neurodevelopment Parenting Transgenerational
10.1
Introduction
The quality of the social environment can have a significant impact on physiology,
neurobiology, and behavior. There is growing evidence from epidemiological
studies in humans for the persistent effects of the early life experience of abuse,
neglect, and variations in parenting style, which suggest that multiple neural
F.A. Champagne (*) and J.P. Curley
Department of Psychology, Columbia University, Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue,
e-mail: fac2105@columbia.edu
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F.A. Champagne and J.P. Curley
systems may be subjected to modulation via the social context of development.
Further, explorations of the mechanisms through which these effects are achieved
have focused on experimental paradigms involving primate and rodent models of
variation in the social environment, and in particular, disruption of postnatal
mother–infant interactions. Although multiple molecular and cellular pathways
are implicated in mediating the link between early life experiences and long-term
changes in phenotype, recent evidence has highlighted the role of epigenetic
mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and posttranslational modifications to
histone proteins within the nucleosome. Although shifts in DNA methylation
were once thought to be restricted to early embryonic development, studies of
nutritional (Lillycrop et al. 2007, 2008), chemical (Onishchenko et al. 2008), and a
broad range of environmental exposures (Mueller and Bale 2008; Roth et al. 2009;
Weaver et al. 2004) occurring during pre- and postnatal development have implicated epigenetic regulation of gene expression as a critical target of experiencedependent change. In this chapter, we describe the experimental approaches that
have been used to explore the long-term effects of early life social experiences;
highlight evidence from humans, primates, and rodents for social modulation of the
brain; and illustrate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in maintaining the effects of
the social environment. Although plasticity in development is typically associated
with the perinatal period, there is continued social modulation of gene expression
and behavior among juveniles and adults and this plasticity may likewise involve
epigenetic modifications. Moreover, the impact of the social environment may not
be restricted to within-generation effects and may lead to the transgenerational
inheritance of phenotypic variation that involves experience-dependent changes in
DNA methylation (Champagne 2008). These findings suggest that an exploration of
epigenetic mechanisms may advance our understanding of the complex and
dynamic interplay between the genome and the environment.
10.1.1 From Epidemiology to the Laboratory: Strategies
for Studying Early Life Social Influences
Epidemiological and longitudinal studies have provided significant support for the
hypothesis that the quality of the early life social environment may shape developmental trajectories leading to either risk or resilience to later life psychiatric
disorder. In humans, neglect and abuse have been demonstrated to reduce cognitive
performance and impair social development (Trickett and McBride-Chang 1995)
and is associated with a fourfold increase in personality disorders (Johnson et al.
1999). The severe neglect experienced by institutionalized infants, most recently
explored among Romanian orphans, further demonstrates the persistent effects of
these experiences. Delays in growth, social, and cognitive development observed in
Romanian orphans are associated with later life impairments in attachment, heightened inattention, and increased autistic-like behaviors (Beckett et al. 2002;
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MacLean 2003; O’Connor and Rutter 2000; O’Connor et al. 2000; Rutter and
O’Connor 2004). Although it is difficult to identify the particular aspect of the
neglectful or abusive childhood experience which contributes to this outcome,
disruption to the mother–infant relationship, consisting of both physical and emotional contact, associated with these conditions is thought to be critical. Variations
in the attachment relationship between mother and infant have been associated with
either resilience to psychological distress or increased incidence of psychopathology (Sroufe et al. 1999; Sroufe 2005). Secure attachment, typically assessed by the
Strange Situation Task (in which infants’ response to separation followed by
reintroduction of the mother is measured) is associated with increased social
competence and cognitive performance, whereas disorganized attachment patterns
predict increased rates of borderline personality disorder, dissociation, and selfharm in adulthood (Carlson 1998; Carlson et al. 2009). Studies using a retrospective
assessment of the quality of the mother–infant relationship, such as the Parental
Bonding Index (PBI), suggest that low levels of maternal care combined with
controlling–overprotective parenting are a significant predictor of adult depression
(Parker et al. 1979; Parker 1993). Overall, these studies indicate that disruption
to the early social environment, particularly the interactions between mother
and infant, can have sustained effects on numerous biobehavioral outcomes in
adulthood.
Our understanding of the mechanisms linking these early life experiences to
adult outcomes has come from the development of animal models, which incorporate aspects of neglect, abuse, or variation in the quality of the mother–infant
interactions’ that are evident in human longitudinal studies (see Fig. 10.1). The
classic studies of Harry Harlow on the development of rhesus macaques exposed to
maternal deprivation provide evidence that the absence of mother–infant interactions during the early phases of development can induce disruptions to social play,
hyperactivity, and sensitivity to stressors (Harlow et al. 1965; Seay and Harlow
1965; Suomi et al. 1971). The importance of mother–infant contact is further
Fig. 10.1 Summary of paradigms used to study social modulation of brain and behavior during
postnatal development in humans, primates, and rodents
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demonstrated by the persistence of abnormalities in development that emerge in
response to peer-rearing (Suomi 1991), where infants have social contact with the
peers but not with the mother. In primates, variable foraging demand can also be
used to disrupt the quality and quantity of mother–infant interactions (Coplan et al.
2006). When the duration of time that is needed to locate and retrieve sufficient
amounts of food is inconsistent across weeks, the sensitivity of mothers to infant
cues is disrupted, and consequently, offspring exhibit elevated levels of anxiety-like
behavior and are less social in adulthood (Coplan et al. 1995, 2005; Gorman et al.
2002). These variations in mother–infant interaction are also observed to occur
naturally among colonies of rhesus and pigtail macaques. Maternal abuse in the
form of dragging and stepping-on infants occurs in isolation-reared and grouphoused macaques at a frequency of 2–10% (Berman 1990; Carroll and Maestripieri
1998; Maestripieri 1998). Abused infants show a delayed onset in social play and
are hyperaggressive in novel environments (McCormack et al. 2006). Abusive
mothers also engage in high levels of maternal rejection, where infant attempts to
make contact with the mother are rejected, and the experience of high levels of this
parenting style may be associated with neurobiological outcomes associated with
infant abuse (as discussed in the next section). High levels of mother–infant contact
(characteristic of an over-protective parenting style) have also been observed in
non-human primates and are associated with decreased exploration of a novel
environment when infants are juveniles (Fairbanks and McGuire 1988). Thus,
both experimental manipulation of the early social environment and observational
studies of naturally occurring variations in mother–infant interactions can be used
to explore the persistent effects of social experiences.
Although primate studies provide a useful model for exploring the effects of
neglect, abuse, and variations in maternal behavior that may shape the developing
brain and behavior, our understanding of the mechanisms through which this is
achieved have relied primarily on studies of laboratory rodents. Maternal neglect
and deprivation can be experimentally induced by separating pups from the dam
for extended periods of time, a manipulation referred to as maternal separation
(Rosenfeld et al. 1992), or through rearing pups in complete isolation from the
dam, referred to as artificial rearing (Hall 1975). In general, prolonged separation or
deprivation from maternal contact induces heightened anxiety-like behaviors,
reduced performances on learning and memory tasks, and decreased social behaviors in adulthood (Lehmann et al. 1999; Lovic and Fleming 2004). The duration of
separation is an important modulator of this effect, and there is evidence that brief
maternal separations (often referred to as “handling”) can stimulate maternal behavior and attenuate the stress response (Levine 1957; Meaney et al. 1991). The effects
of abusive caregiving can also be studied in rodents. Removal or disruption of the
bedding material normally included in the cages of laboratory rats and mice can
induce dams to engage in rough handling, stepping-on, and avoidance of pups (Roth
and Sullivan 2005). This paradigm has been used primarily for studying the factors
influencing attachment to abusive caregivers and may also be a useful approach for
studying the effects of early life trauma. Extended periods of maternal separation
can also be induced in the laboratory by imposing foraging demands, and evidence
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from studies in mice suggests that a variable foraging demand on dams is associated
with increased anxiety-like responses in male offspring (Bredy et al. 2007; Coutellier et al. 2009). Interestingly, studies of biparental voles indicate that removal of the
father can have lasting effects on neurodevelopment (Ahern and Young 2009),
though the benefits of multiple caregivers for offspring development is not limited
to biparental species. In laboratory mice, communal rearing can be used to study the
effects of increased social interactions during the postnatal period (Branchi 2009). In
a communal nest, multiple postparturient females are housed together with their own
litters or foster pups and the litters are combined and cared for as a group by the
lactating dams. When compared with standard reared pups, offspring reared in
communal nests are found to exhibit changes in anxiety-like and social behavior
that are dependent on the age distribution of pups in the nest and conditions of the
testing environment (Branchi and Alleva 2006; Branchi et al. 2009; Curley et al.
2009). This rearing paradigm has been demonstrated to ameliorate many of the
behavioral deficits characteristic of the highly anxious BALB/c mouse strain
(Curley et al. 2009), suggesting the modulating effect of social experiences on strain
differences in behavior.
Individual variation in maternal styles that are observed in humans and primates
are also exhibited by laboratory rodents and can likewise be associated with
divergent developmental outcomes. In rats and mice, there are individual variations
in several aspects of maternal behavior during the first week postpartum (Champagne et al. 2003a, 2007). In particular, there are stable between-dam variations in
the frequency of pup licking/grooming (LG). One strategy for studying the longterm influence of mother–infant interactions is to characterize the LG behavior of a
cohort of lactating females and compare outcome measures between offspring
reared by Low or High LG dams [with Low or High being defined as 1 SD below
or above the cohort average LG (Champagne et al. 2003a)]. This approach has been
used successfully to study the origins of individual differences in stress response,
response to novelty, learning and memory, and numerous indices of social/reproductive behavior (Meaney 2001). Variations in LG during the postnatal period can
also be induced by gestational stress (Champagne and Meaney 2006; Moore and
Power 1986), postparturient exposure to predator odor (McLeod et al. 2007), and
various manipulations of the postnatal and juvenile rearing environment of the
dams (Champagne and Meaney 2007; Lovic et al. 2001), with consequences for
offspring development. Thus, plasticity in maternal behavior in response to environmental conditions is one route through which the quality of the environment can
shape offspring physiology, brain, and behavior.
10.1.2 Social Modulation of the Developing Brain
The rodent and primate models of neglect, abuse, and variations in mother–infant
interaction described in the previous section have been used to explore the neurobiological impact of the social environment and have yielded target neural systems,
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which have been subsequently explored in human cohorts. Disruption to the early
life environment has been demonstrated to exert persistent effects on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) response to stress (for recent reviews see Korosi and
Baram 2009; Lupien et al. 2009). Elevations in glucocorticoids associated with
exposure to stress is achieved via release of corticotropin-releasing hormone
(CRH) from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus that acts on
CRH receptors within the pituitary to trigger the release of adrenocorticotropin
hormone (ACTH) and consequent release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal
cortex. This HPA activity can be potentiated by neuropeptides such as vasopressin
(AVP) and down-regulated through a negative feedback loop involving hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors (GR). In early development, social experiences that
promote increased levels of mother–infant tactile stimulation generally lead to longterm reduction in HPA stress reactivity. Adult rats that were reared by High LG dams
or exposed to postnatal handling have attenuated stress responsivity, reduced CRH
mRNA expression in the PVN, and higher expression of GR in the hippocampus
(Francis et al. 1999; Liu et al. 1997; Meaney and Aitken 1985; Meaney et al. 1985,
1989; Viau et al. 1993). In contrast, postnatal maternal separation induces increased
stress reactivity associated with reduced GR expression in the hypothalamus and
hippocampus, and regional changes in CRH receptor expression (Ladd et al. 2004;
Plotsky and Meaney 1993). Thus, neural circuits involved in emotionality are
susceptible to modulation in response to early life experiences, particularly those
experiences affecting the frequency of mother–infant interactions.
The influence of the social environment is not limited to neuroendocrine pathways,
which are primarily involved in regulating the stress response. However, it should be
noted that most investigations of the neurobiological consequences of experimental
manipulations of the early life environment use a target gene/neural system approach
such that the specificity vs. breadth of the effects of particular manipulations are not
well elucidated. Maternal separation is associated with increased dopamine (DA) in
the striatum of mice (Ognibene et al. 2008). Moreover, compared with individuals
who were handled during the first 2 weeks of life, adults who experienced postnatal
maternal separation have increased dopamine D1 receptor binding levels in the
nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and caudate putamen, increased D3 receptor mRNA
in the NAc shell, and decreased levels of dopamine transporter (DAT – which uptakes
DA from the synapse) (Brake et al. 2004). Maternally separated rat pups have
decreased 5-HIAA and HVA (serotonin (5-HT) metabolites) levels in the amygdala
and increased stress-induced 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels (Arborelius and Eklund 2007).
Similar increases in 5-HT levels are found in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and
striatum of mice that are maternally separated during the first week postpartum
(Ognibene et al. 2008). Handling-induced increases in gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA) A central benzodiazepine (CBZ) receptors have been detected in the
medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, and amygdala (Bodnoff et al. 1987;
Caldji et al. 2000; Weizman et al. 1999). Extended periods of maternal separation in
rats have been reported to cause reductions in the expression of the hippocampal
N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and a-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptor subunits (Bellinger et al. 2006; Pickering et al. 2006;
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Roceri et al. 2002). Postnatal maternal separation has also generally been associated
with elevated AVP immunoreactivity and mRNA in the PVN (Vazquez et al. 2006;
Veenema et al. 2006; Veenema and Neumann 2007), though some studies only find
this increase in subjects undergoing a subsequent exposure to stress (Veenema et al.
2006). Maternal separation leads to increased vasopressin V1A receptor (V1Ar)
binding in the lateral septum (LS) of juvenile males (Lukas et al. 2010). Maternally
separated male rats have lower oxytocin receptor (OTR) binding in the LS and caudate
putamen, and higher OTR binding in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) (Lukas et al. 2010). Overall, these studies illustrate the
broad effects of early life manipulations achieved through long and brief maternal
separations.
Similarly, variations in maternal behavior have been demonstrated to exert
long-term influences on dopaminergic, GABAergic, glutamatergic, oxytocin and
vasopressin neuropeptide systems, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
Offspring of Low LG dams have elevated stress-induced dopamine release within
the mPFC (Zhang et al. 2005). Variations in maternal behavior in the rat and
between different strains of mice have been shown to regulate GABAA receptor
subunit composition with implications for its receptor pharmacology (Caldji et al.
2000, 2003, 2004). Offspring of Low LG dams exhibit a deficit in NMDA hippocampal subunit mRNA expression as adults (Bredy et al. 2003, 2004; Liu et al.
2000). Similarly, in biparental species, reduced paternal contact results in increased
NR2A and decreased NR2B NMDA subunit mRNA expression in the hippocampus
(Bredy et al. 2007). Male offspring of High LG rat dams have elevated levels of
V1Ar in the amygdala (Francis et al. 2002b), whereas communally reared female
mice have reduced V1Ar binding in the LS (Curley et al. 2009). Communally
rearing and the experience of High LG are associated with elevations in hypothalamic OTR of female offspring (Champagne et al. 2001; Curley et al. 2009; Francis
et al. 2000). Finally, hippocampal levels of BDNF have been demonstrated to
decrease in response to maternal separation and complete maternal deprivation
(Burton et al. 2007; Roceri et al. 2002), and increase in response to communal
rearing in mice (Branchi et al. 2006a, b) and high LG in rats (Liu et al. 2000). Social
modulation of these target systems has implications for response to novelty,
anxiety-like and social behavior, and cognition, such that these early life experiences can achieve diverse developmental effects that persist into adulthood.
The translation of these laboratory-based findings to primate and human studies
has provided further support for the impact of social experiences on brain regionspecific activation, neuropeptide/neurotransmitter levels, and variations in gene
expression. As it is the case for early deprivation paradigms in rodents, reductions
in mother–infant contact in primates have a profound impact on the HPA response
to stress. Heightened stress-induced cortisol and decreased rhythmicity in basal
cortisol release are common features of rhesus monkeys reared in the absence of
maternal stimulation, typically using a peer-rearing strategy (Barr et al. 2004;
Suomi 1991). Compared with mother-reared rhesus monkeys, peer-reared infants
showed increases in the volume of stress-sensitive brain regions, such as the
dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), in later
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life (Spinelli et al. 2009). Peer-reared infants also have decreased serotonin transporter binding in the hypothalamus, caudate and putamen, globus pallidum, anterior
cingulate gyrus, amygdala, and hippocampus (Ichise et al. 2006); decreased CSF
5-HIAA concentrations (Shannon et al. 2005); and an altered density of 5-HT1A
receptors (Spinelli et al. 2010). Exposure of infant marmosets to repeated separations
from parents is associated with long-term changes in gene expression, with particular
effects on 5-HT1A mRNA levels within the ACC and hippocampus (Law et al.
2009a, b). Comparisons between nursery- and mother-reared infants indicate
decreased CSF oxytocin levels in maternally deprived rhesus monkeys, which
may account for the decreased social behavior observed in nursery-reared infants
(Winslow 2005). Disruptions of mother–infant interactions, through use of a variable
foraging demand, have been demonstrated to increase CSF levels of CRH (when
exposure occurs in infancy; Coplan et al. 2001), induce elevations in CSF 5-HIAA
and HVA (Coplan et al. 1998), and alter metabolism within the ACC (Mathew et al.
2003). Likewise, natural variation in maternal rejection rates is associated with altered
serotonergic activity in offspring (Maestripieri et al. 2005, 2006). Thus, studies in
primates have confirmed the neurobiological pathways that had previously been
implicated in rodent models of abuse, neglect, and variation in parental behavior.
Advances in the development of noninvasive strategies for studying the impact
of early life experiences on neural systems in humans have provided opportunities
for translational studies on social modulation of the brain. Childhood neglect and
abuse are associated with increased HPA activity and increased pituitary volume
(Fries et al. 2008; Gerra et al. 2008; Neigh et al. 2009). CSF levels of 5-HIAA and
HVA have been show to be negatively correlated with retrospective self-report
scores of childhood emotional neglect (Roy 2002). Reduced levels of plasma
BDNF associated with childhood neglect have also been reported in depressed
patients and may account for cognitive impairments observed in these subjects
(Grassi-Oliveira et al. 2008). Neuroimaging studies of Romanian adoptees that
experienced severe neglect associated with institutionalization in infancy have
indicated decreased overall white- and gray-matter volume and increased amygdala
volume (Mehta et al. 2009). Positron emission tomography (PET) analysis indicates
decreased metabolic activity within the orbital frontal gyrus, the infralimbic prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, the lateral temporal cortex, and the brain
stem of Romanian orphans (Chugani et al. 2001). Levels of vasopressin and
oxytocin have also been found to be blunted in children who experienced early
neglect (Fries et al. 2005). Variations in retrospective reports of parental care have
also yielded significant negative associations with cerebrospinal levels of CRH
(Lee et al. 2006). In nonclinical subjects, high levels of maternal care are associated
with reduced trait anxiety and decreased salivary cortisol in response to stress,
whereas low levels of maternal care are associated with increased DA release in the
ventral striatum in response to stress (Pruessner et al. 2004). Other studies using the
PBI have found a positive relationship between gray matter volume in the left
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and paternal care score, whereas paternal
and maternal overprotection were negatively correlated with the volume of this
region (Narita et al. 2010). In a longitudinal study, observational ratings of parental
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nurturance at age 4 predicted hippocampal volume in adolescence (Rao et al. 2010).
These neurobiological studies of the effect of early life adversity suggest the
persistent influence of these experiences on neural systems that regulate anxiety,
social behavior, and cognition with implications for risk of later life psychiatric
disorders.
10.1.3 Epigenetic Mechanisms and the Long-Term Effects
of Social Experiences
The biological pathways, though which early life social experiences exert such a
profound neurobiological and behavioral impact, are being explored within many
of the rodent, primate, and human experimental designs described in the previous
sections. Although there may certainly be neuroanatomical alterations through
which these effects are achieved, one approach to advancing our understanding of
the association between the social environment and phenotypic variation comes
from experimental designs incorporating the study of epigenetic regulation of gene
activity. This epigenetic regulation of transcription is a critical feature of the link
between genotype and phenotype and refers to those factors which control accessibility of DNA to transcription and which can alter the levels of gene expression
(either silencing genes or increasing transcriptional activity) without altering the
sequence of DNA. The molecular mechanisms through which these epigenetic
effects are achieved include, but are not exclusive to, histone protein modifications
and DNA methylation (Feng et al. 2007; Razin 1998). Within the cell nucleus, DNA
is wrapped around a core of histone proteins, which can undergo multiple posttranslational modifications including methylation, acetylation, and ubiquination
(Peterson and Laniel 2004; Zhang and Reinberg 2001). These modifications alter
the dynamic interactions between the histones and DNA, which either reduce or
enhance the accessibility of DNA to transcription factors and RNA polymerase. In
particular, histone acetylation is associated with increased transcriptional activity,
whereas histone deacetylation or methylation is typically associated with transcriptional repression. Acetylation of histones is mediated by the enzyme histone
acetyltransferase (HAT), whereas histone deacetylase (HDAC) promotes removal
of the acetyl group from the histone tails. Thus, through alterations in the conformation of histones, the accessibility of DNA can be rapidly and reversibly altered.
In contrast, DNA methylation has the potential to be a more stable and enduring
modification to the activity of genes. DNA methylation occurs when cytosine
nucleotides, usually located in CpG islands, are converted to 5-methylcytosine.
This process is mediated by methyltransferases, which promote either maintenance
(i.e., DNMT1) or de novo DNA methylation (i.e., DNMT3) (Feng et al. 2007; Razin
1998; Turner 2001). The conversion to 5-methylcytosine does not alter the DNA
sequence, but can alter the likelihood that the gene will be transcribed and reduce
transcription factor-mediated responses, particularly when methylation occurs
194
within gene promoter regions. Methylated DNA attracts methyl-binding proteins,
such as MeCP2, which further reduce the accessibility of the gene and are associated with transcriptional repression (Fan and Hutnick 2005). The stability of DNA
methylation patterns within the genome permits the stable regulation of gene
expression associated with cellular differentiation and the heritability of this modification can be observed during mitotic cell divisions (Fukuda and Taga 2005).
Investigations of the role of epigenetic mechanisms in maintaining changes in
gene expression induced by the early social environment have been explored in
rodent experimental designs that model maternal abuse, maternal separation, and
variations in mother–infant interactions during postnatal development (see
Fig. 10.2). Daily exposure to abusive social interactions leads to reduced expression
of BDNF in the prefrontal cortex in adulthood associated with increased DNA
methylation within the BDNF IV promoter region (Roth et al. 2009). The functional
importance of DNA methylation in mediating the long-term effects of abuse is
further supported by findings that central administration of zebularine, a compound
that reduces DNA methylation, leads to increased BDNF expression in maltreated
rats such that BDNF levels are equivalent among abused and nonabused offspring.
Daily and prolonged maternal separation has effects on a broad range of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems, and in a recent study, significant increases in
AVP mRNA in the parvocellular neurons of the PVN was explored in maternally
separated mice (Murgatroyd et al. 2009). Within the AVP gene, there are four
regions rich in CpG islands that may regulate gene expression through DNA
methylation. Analysis of PVN tissue indicated that at one of the four regions
(CGI3), maternally separated males have significantly reduced DNA methylation
Fig. 10.2 Epigenetic effects of postnatal environmental experiences. In rodents, postnatal maternal separation is associated with decreased DNA methylation within the AVP promoter region
leading to increased AVP mRNA in the PVN (Murgatroyd et al. 2009), whereas maternal abuse is
associated with increased methylation within the BDNF promoter in the prefrontal cortex leading
to decreased BDNF expression (Roth et al. 2009) and the experience of low levels of LG in infancy
is associated with increased methylation in the GR promoter region leading to decreased hippocampal GR expression (Weaver et al. 2004)
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195
compared with control males at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year of age. Furthermore,
this hypomethylation was significantly correlated with increased mRNA expression, and these effects were brain region-specific as no changes in AVP mRNA or
DNA methylation were found between maternally separated and control males in
the supraoptic nucleus (SON). Analysis of the time course of the molecular changes
involved in this differential methylation suggests that short-term activation of
MeCP2 may be critical within the pathways leading to AVP hypomethylation and
increased AVP mRNA levels within the PVN (Murgatroyd et al. 2009). Conversely,
in response to brief maternal separation (handling), reductions in CRH mRNA in
the parvocellular neurons of the PVN can be observed as early as PN9 (Korosi et al.
2010). Within the regulatory region of the CRH gene, there is a binding element for
the repressor neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF) (Seth and Majzoub 2001).
This factor recruits cofactors and other enzymes/proteins involved in epigenetic
regulation leading to the repression of gene expression (Zheng et al. 2009). Among
handled offspring, protein levels of NRSF are dramatically higher in PVN tissue at
PN9 and throughout adulthood, suggesting a possible mechanism for the initiation
and maintenance of reduced CRH gene expression in response to handling-induced
stimulation of mother–infant interactions.
Natural variations in postnatal maternal LG in the rat are associated with
changes in numerous receptor pathways, with effects on hippocampal GR being
implicated in the high levels of HPA reactivity observed among offspring of Low
LG dams (Liu et al. 1997). Analysis of the GR 17 promoter region suggests that low
levels of LG are associated with increased GR 17 methylation, decreased GR
expression and an increased HPA response to stress. Time course analysis has
indicated that these maternally induced epigenetic profiles emerge during the
postnatal period and are sustained into adulthood (Weaver et al. 2004). The pathways through which these effects are achieved are currently being elucidated and it
appears likely that maternal LG mediated up-regulation of nerve growth factorinducible protein A (NGFI-A) in infancy may be critical to activating GR transcription and maintaining low levels of DNA methylation within the GR 17 promoter
among the offspring of High LG dams (Weaver et al. 2007). These experiencedependent shifts in epigenetic regulation of target genes within HPA stress pathways have also been observed to emerge prenatally in response to maternal
exposure to chronic variable stress. Male offspring of mice exposed to gestational
stress have decreased DNA methylation of the CRH gene promoter and increased
methylation of the GR exon 17 promoter region in hypothalamic tissue (Mueller and
Bale 2008). These epigenetic modifications are associated with exposure to stress
during the early stages of prenatal development and may involve dysregulation of
placental gene expression. These findings complement studies in humans illustrating that methylation status of the GR promoter, particularly at the NGFI-A-binding
site, in cord blood mononuclear cells of infants is associated with exposure to third
trimester maternal depressed mood. Maternal depression was found to be associated
with increased GR 1F promoter methylation in fetal blood samples and these
methylation patterns predicted HPA reactivity in infants at 3 months of age (Oberlander et al. 2008). The susceptibility of HPA responses to social modulation
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suggests that genes within these stress-sensitive pathways may be the target of
epigenetic dysregulation associated with many forms of early life adversity.
10.1.4 Beyond Infancy: Epigenetic Effects of Juvenile and Adult
Social Experiences
Although social modulation of brain and behavior has been primarily explored in
response to early social experiences, and in particular, mother–infant interactions,
there continues to be plasticity in response to social experiences occurring during
juvenile development and into adulthood. Social isolation during the postweaning
period has generally been found to increase anxiety-like responses, though this may
not involve the same neuroendocrine pathways targeted by earlier social experiences
(Francis et al. 2002a; Lukkes et al. 2009). In rodents, postweaning social isolation has
been associated with decreased expression of several 5-HT receptor subtypes in the
prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus, and midbrain (Bibancos et al. 2007); latent elevations in DA levels in the NAc (Shao et al. 2009); reduced GABAA/CBZ receptor
binding (Insel 1989; Miachon et al. 1990); decreased neuronal plasticity associated
with glutamatergic hypofunction (Lu et al. 2003; Silva-Gomez et al. 2003; Stranahan
et al. 2006); and sex-specific effects on the numbers of OT-positive neurons in the
PVN (Grippo et al. 2007a, b). This cascade of neuroendocrine changes is associated
with a phenotype referred to as an “isolation syndrome,” which can be attenuated by
treatment with antidepressants (Heritch et al. 1990). In contrast, juvenile environmental enrichment (typically involving both physical and social environmental complexity) in rodents attenuates the HPA response to stress with a concomitant decrease in
basal corticosterone levels (Belz et al. 2003), and there is evidence for enrichmentinduced elevations in hippocampal NGFI-A and GR (Olsson et al. 1994). In addition,
social enrichment during juvenile development is associated with increased levels of
the DAT within the NAc (Zakharova et al. 2009), increased GAD enzyme activity
and extracellular GABA concentrations within the hippocampus (Frick et al. 2003;
Segovia et al. 2006), increased AMPA receptor expression in the hippocampus (Bredy
et al. 2003, 2004), and elevated OTR binding in a number of forebrain and hypothalamic areas including the central nucleus of the amygdala (Champagne and Meaney
2007). The social enrichment paradigm has been used to reverse deficits associated
with pre- and postnatal environmental exposures (Francis et al. 2002a; Laviola et al.
2004; Morley-Fletcher et al. 2003) and augment phenotypes associated with targeted
genetic manipulations (Jankowsky et al. 2005; van Dellen et al. 2000). Interestingly,
recovery of memory deficits induced through p25-mediated neuronal loss can be
achieved through exposure to complex housing environments and this enrichment is
associated with increased histone (H3 and H4) acetylation in the hippocampus and
cortex (Fischer et al. 2007). Moreover, treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors
can mimic the effects of environmental enrichment on learning and synaptic plasticity.
These findings suggest the role of epigenetic mechanisms in shifting gene expression
and behavior at these later stages of development.
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In adulthood, chronic social defeat has been used to illustrate the continued
influence of social experiences on neurobiological outcomes. This form of social
stress, in which an individual has prolonged exposure to agonistic behavioral
encounters, is associated with disruptions in social and emotional responding
(Keeney and Hogg 1999). In adulthood, even a single social defeat is associated
with prolonged alterations to the HPA stress response and changes to the expression
of CRH receptors (Buwalda et al. 1999; Cooper and Huhman 2007). Social defeat
results in transient changes in GABA receptor levels in cortex, cerebellum, and
hypothalamus (Miller et al. 1987); increases in NMDA and decreases in AMPA
receptor binding in the hippocampus (Krugers et al. 1993); and increases in
expression of AVP mRNA in the PVN (Erhardt et al. 2009). Exploration of the
epigenetic pathways linking the experience of social defeat to the behavioral
phenotype that emerges in response to this adult social stressor has focused primarily on BDNF, which serves as a trophic factor that is a common downstream
mediator of the effects of the multiple neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems.
BNDF gene expression is significantly decreased in the hippocampus of socially
defeated male mice and this effect appears to be mediated by specific decreases in
the BDNF III and IV transcripts (Tsankova et al. 2006). These effects are observed
a month following exposure to the social stress, indicating a persistent effect on
gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis indicates
increased histone H3-K27 dimethylation at the BDNF III and IV promoters
among socially defeated males, which may account for the reduced BDNF expression. Histone deacetylase (HDAC5) mRNA levels are also found to be decreased in
socially defeated males (Tsankova et al. 2006) and HDAC5 appears to be important
in mediating the effects of antidepressant treatment in males exposed to chronic
social stress (Renthal et al. 2007). The differential levels of histone H3-K27
dimethylation are also found across the genome within the NAc, both in response
to chronic social defeat and prolonged adult social isolation (Wilkinson et al. 2009).
Analysis of histone acetylation in the NAc indicates that H3-K14 acetylation is
initially decreased and then increased following chronic social defeat associated
with decreases in HDAC2 levels. These studies suggest that though there is
plasticity beyond the postnatal period, and that epigenetic mechanisms are responsive to juvenile and adult social experiences, dynamic histone modifications may be
more evident in response to these later life experiences.
10.1.5 Transgenerational Epigenetic Effects
Although use of the term “epigenetic” has its origin in the study of development and
the notion that divergent gene activity plays a critical role in phenotypic variation,
more recent conceptualizations of “epigenetic” are derived from the root “genetic”
meaning the study of the units of heritable material (Jablonka and Lamb 2002). The
notion that meiotic inheritance can be considered outside the realm of the DNA
sequence is an area of growing philosophical and scientific interest, and there are
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two distinct pathways via which epigenetic modifications are currently believed to
be involved in the transmission of traits across generations. The first pathway, often
referred to as epigenetic inheritance, involves incorporation of an epigenetic mark
into the DNA which is then transmitted and perpetuated in subsequent generations
through the germline (Morgan et al. 1999). The second pathway builds on the role
of experience-dependent epigenetic modifications in developmental plasticity illustrated in the previous sections. Through these pathways, DNA methylation has
been demonstrated to play a critical role in the transgenerational impact of early life
experiences. The role of social experiences in shaping transgenerational effects is
associated with experience-depended changes in the activity of genes that will, in
adulthood, alter the reproductive behavior of females, leading to variations in the
quantity and quality of mother–infant interactions (Champagne 2008). Natural
variations in postnatal maternal care have been associated with altered gene expression and receptor levels within the MPOA, a brain region that is critical for maternal
behavior (Fleming 1986). Females reared by Low LG dams have a reduced
sensitivity to estrogen-mediated increases in neuronal activation within the
MPOA (Champagne et al. 2001, 2003b) and analysis of levels of ERa in the
offspring of High and Low LG dams suggest that differences in estrogen sensitivity
are mediated by variations in ERa levels such that expression of ERa in the MPOA
of both lactating and nonlactating female offspring of Low LG dams is significantly
reduced (Champagne et al. 2003b). Analysis of levels of DNA methylation within
the 1B promoter region of the ERa gene in MPOA tissue indicates that the
experience of High LG is associated with decreased promoter methylation, whereas
Low LG is associated with increased promoter methylation, leading to reduced
gene expression and an attenuated response to hormonally primed behaviors
(Champagne et al. 2006). ChIP assays demonstrate that this differential DNA
methylation has consequences for the binding of transcription factors such as
STAT5a to the 1B promoter. Maternal LG is associated with increased levels of
STAT5a during the postnatal period and the increased levels of this factor may lead
to sustained activation of transcription and reduced DNA methylation (Champagne
et al. 2006). As a consequence of these epigenetic modifications, individual differences in maternal LG are transmitted from mother to offspring (F1 generation) and
to grand-offspring (F2 generation) (Champagne and Meaney 2007; Champagne
2008). A similar experience-dependent transmission of behavior is observed in
response to exposure to abuse. Female rat pups exposed to abusive caregiving in
infancy engage in abusive caregiving toward their own offspring and F2 offspring
of these F1 females have elevated levels of methylation within the BDNF promoter
in the PFC and hippocampus (Roth et al. 2009). Interestingly, postnatal crossfostering of F2 females to nonabusive dams did not reverse these epigenetic effects,
suggesting that there may be prenatal factors that contribute to the generational
transmission of altered DNA methylation patterns. The transgenerational inheritance of stable individual differences in behavior, mediated through epigenetic
mechanisms, provides an alternative route of inheritance of phenotype that may
allow for the environmental conditions and social experiences of previous generations to influence development.
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10.1.6 Concluding Remarks
Development occurs within a social context and there is increasing evidence that
epigenetic mechanisms may play a critical role in linking experiences to long-term
neurobiological changes. Although much of the evidence supporting the hypotheses
that DNA methylation and histone modifications are altered by the social environment has come from studies in rodents, translational studies are emerging, which
suggest that, for example, the experience of abuse in infancy can lead to epigenetic
variation in the human brain (McGowan et al. 2008, 2009). Thus, the animal models
of abuse, neglect, and variation in parental care that have been used to study social
modulation of the developing brain can continue to inform and inspire hypothesisdriven epigenetic research in humans. Given the brain region specificity of many of
the gene expression changes that have been observed in these models, one critical
question that must be addressed relates to the ability to predict epigenetic changes
in the brain using peripheral markers of transcriptional activity measured in blood
lymphocytes. Establishing this relationship will enable the application of an epigenetic approach to longitudinal studies in humans where in vivo changes in DNA
methylation and histone modifications can be associated with variations in social
experience. In addition, the plasticity of the epigenome in response to both behavioral and pharmacological intervention in later life that has been observed in rodent
studies (Roth et al. 2009; Weaver et al. 2004, 2005) may provide a novel therapeutic
approach to the treatment of disorders related to early life adversity. The dynamic
yet stable nature of epigenetic variation may be a critical feature of both within- and
across-generation individual differences in phenotype that expand our concept of
the origins of variation in brain and behavior.
Acknowledgment This work was supported by Grant Number DP2OD001674 from the Office of
the Director, National Institutes of Health.
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Chapter 11
Toward an Understanding of the Dynamic
Interdependence of Genes and Environment
in the Regulation of Phenotype
Nurturing our Epigenetic Nature
Ian C.G. Weaver
Abstract Developmental plasticity refers to the potential for intraindividual
change. Traditionally, the relationship between the human genome and the environment has been presented under the framework of gene–environment interactions.
However, adaptive phenotypic plasticity emerges from more than just genotype. In
humans and nonhuman primates, the nature of mother–infant interactions early in
life has a profound role in mediating variation in offspring phenotype, including
emotional and cognitive development, which is endured through life. One critical
question: How is this “environmental programming” established and maintained in
the offspring? Evidence from rodent studies suggests that maternal care in the first
week of postnatal life establishes diverse and stable phenotypes in the offspring
through epigenetic modification of genes expressed in the brain, which shape neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responsivity throughout life. This research demonstrates that the epigenetic state of a gene can be established through early in life
experience and is potentially reversible in adulthood. These findings may well form
the molecular basis for understanding potential mechanisms of environmental and
developmental determinates of individual differences in human stress reactivity and
health outcomes. Henceforth, epigenetic modifications of specific genomic regions
in response to variations in environmental conditions might serve as a major source
of variation in biological and behavioral phenotypes.
Keywords Chromatin DNA methylation Glucocorticoid receptor Hippocampus Maternal care Stress Transgenerational inheritance
I.C.G. Weaver
Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Epigenetics, Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
e-mail: ian_weaver@camh.net
209
210
11.1
I.C.G. Weaver
Early Life Development: Making an Intraindividual
Difference
The study of development is an examination of adaptation and therein the
biological basis of variation among alternative phenotypes. Phenotype is maintained through multifarious interactions between the dynamics of cellular-level
function in response to intrinsic and extrinsic (environmental) cues. The cells of
an organism contain the same genotype but are structurally, functionally, and
phenotypically heterogeneous in response to different spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression profiles influencing multiple cellular functions including
differentiation and morphogenesis (Baccarelli and Bollati 2009; Dempfle et al.
2008; Ishibe and Kelsey 1997; Kraft and Hunter 2005; London and Romieu
2009). The generation of different degrees of individual adaptive modification
from a single genome in response to changes in the environment – either stochastic
or predictable – forms the basis for “phenotypic plasticity”, which is apparent
across all froms of life.
In altricial species such as humans, the transition from embryo to adulthood is a
lengthy process, and its evolutionary development has been long and complex
(Saccheri and Hanski 2006). Embryonic development manifests as a series of changes
in cellular programs that mark the transitions from the totipotent zygote to increasingly more differentiated cells with specialized morphology and function. As an
individual progresses through prenatal (embryonic–fetal combined), neonatal, infancy,
childhood, juvenile, puberty, adolescence, prime, and senescence – from dependency to increasing autonomy – physiological and neurodevelopmental systems
continually receive, transform, and update information regarding the demands of the
environment (Oli and Dobson 2003; Roff 2002). The physiological homeostatic
set points of the internal environment of an individual are controlled by multiple
systems (cytokines, growth factors, hormone secretion, and neurotransmitter release),
and these interactions apply to the brain.
The stability of a child’s early life conditions both before birth and in infancy
has profound effects on their long-term physical and mental health outcomes. The
relationship between the quality of early environment and long-term developmental
programming appears to be mediated, in part, by the closeness or degree of positive
attachment in parent–infant bonding and parental investment during early life (Canetti
et al. 1997). Critical phases in early life are characterized by dynamic responses to
chemical, biological, and physical stimuli (i.e., nutritional restriction, gestational
diabetes, and maternal stress) that permanently alter (or “program”) gene expression
profiles contributing to the organization and function of neural circuits and molecular
pathways supporting biological mechanisms (intrauterine growth, physiology, and
metabolism) and psychological processes (socialization and intellectual maturation)
in the offspring (Barker et al. 2002; Fowden et al. 2006; Huizink et al. 2004; Mousseau
and Fox 1998). The ability of the early environment to modify adult phenotypes
(neuroendocrine, behavioral, emotional, metabolic, and cognitive) via alterations in
mother–infant interactions allows the transmission of information involved in
11
Toward an Understanding of the Dynamic Interdependence of Genes
211
enhanced survival to be passed on to offspring without having to go through the slow
processes of random mutation and natural selection. This implies that plasticity early
in life provides the individual with an evolutionary advantageous ability to adjust
physiologically and hone specific biological defensive systems for survival and
reproductive success to promote establishment and persistence in the present environment (Bradshaw 1965).
Depending on how close the plastic response is to the new favored phenotypic
optimum dictates whether directional selection will cause adaptive divergence
between populations (Robinson et al. 2008). Plasticity can become maladaptive
under conditions where environmental stimuli programs physiological systems to
function outside their normal range, which increases the biological systems “wear
and tear” (or allostatic load) and risk for diseases that occur with greater frequency
with aging (McEwen 2004). Herein, developmental programming mediates the
effects of experience on vulnerability (and resilience) to the emergence of certain
metabolic disorder phenotypes in the later stages of life (Coe and Lubach 2005;
Gluckman et al. 2008). This begs the question of how the individual is capable of
adapting to these developmental or environmental cues at the level of the genome,
including the biological mechanism(s) through which these responses are established and maintained.
Genetic variation for phenotypic plasticity has been demonstrated in a number of
different species, suggesting that it is open to the forces of natural selection, and
that adaptive phenotypic plasticity can evolve (West-Eberhard 2005). However,
phenotypic plasticity is more than the simple property of genotype. Indeed, there
are multiple potential mechanisms of inheritance, involving the passage of epigenetic
marks through the germ line (Chong and Whitelaw 2004); the passage of maternal
RNA molecules into the embryo (Bettegowda and Smith 2007; Rassoulzadegan
et al. 2006); the potential passage of prion proteins from parent to offspring (Shorter
and Lindquist 2005); the biochemical state of the gametes at the time of conception;
and the transmission of nutrients, bacteria, or antibodies from maternal circulation
to that of the offspring (Boulinier and Staszewski 2008; Grindstaff et al. 2003;
Hasselquist and Nilsson 2009). All of these factors can, and do, influence the
phenotype of the offspring.
Epigenetics investigates the transmission of phenotypic characteristics in terms of
gene expression through mitosis (and potentially meiosis) in the absence of changes in
DNA sequence, hence the name epi- (Greek: epı́ – over, above) genetics (Waddington
1942). The advent of high-throughput techniques such as microarray- and sequencingbased approaches to study the distributions of regulators of gene transcription throughout the genome led to the collective description of the “epigenome”, which refers to
the epigenetically modified genome. The “epigenotype” refers to mitotically heritable
patterns of DNA methylation and modifications to chromatin proteins that package
DNA. Henceforth, phenotype is thought to be the result of complex interactions
between genotype and current, past, and ancestral environment leading to life-long
experience-dependent chromatin plasticity.
This chapter provides an overview of the main components of the epigenome
and, using a rodent model of early life social interaction, discusses how epigenetic
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programming through maternal care subsequently shapes brain development and
behavioral function across the life span. Herein, socially directed regulatory processes transfer epigenetic information not only within cells but also between cells
and organ systems, as well as across generations. In humans, the epigenome may
well function as an interface between the inherited genome and the dynamics
imposed by the environment, providing a mechanism for reprogramming gene
function in response to changes in lifestyle trajectories, fundamental for adaptive
phenotypic plasticity.
11.2
The Dynamic Epigenome: Linking Environment
to Genes and Plasticity
Epigenetic events in eukaryotic organisms (plants, insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals) have evolved to provide a more precise and stable control of gene expression
and genomic regulation through multiple generations. In eukaryotic cells, the epigenome is encoded in distinct patterns of nuclear organization, global chromatin
structure, global and local covalent modification of both histone proteins (regular and
variants) (Kadonaga 1998) and DNA (Razin 1998), and the presence of specific
macromolecules including small nonprotein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) termed microRNA [other ncRNA include Piwi-interacting RNAs and large intervening non-coding
RNAs] (Bergmann and Lane 2003; Chuang and Jones 2007; Saito and Jones 2006).
MicroRNA regulates gene expression and cellular fate by controlling chromatin
silencing, mRNA stability, or translation, and potentially plays an important role in
developmental neuropathology (for review see Mattick et al. 2009). For the purpose
of this review, we discuss only DNA and histone modification, considering microRNA are regulated by DNA methylation and chromatin structure (Saito and Jones
2006). Unlike the DNA sequence, which is stable and strongly conserved, epigenetic
processes can be highly dynamic: chromatin structure and DNA methylation patterns
are unique to each type of cell, developmentally regulated, and often induced by
exposure to a range of external environmental factors (Dolinoy et al. 2007). Understanding the mechanisms involved in the initiation, maintenance, and heritability of
epigenetic states is an important aspect of research in current biology, particularly in
the study of phenotypic behavior in humans.
11.2.1 Chromatin Structure, Modifying Enzymes, Histone Code,
and Genome Function
In the eukaryotic cell nucleus, chromosomal DNA is packaged into chromatin fibers
in repeating protein–DNA complexes called nucleosomes, the basic unit of DNA
packaging. Nucleosomes comprise approximately 146 bp of DNA wound 1.8 times
around an octamer consisting of two copies each of histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3,
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and H4 (Kornberg 1974). The attraction between the positively-charged histones and
negatively-charged DNA maintains the histone–DNA interaction (Grunstein 1997).
The posttranslational modification of histones, the basic proteins around which
DNA is wrapped to form nucleosomes, comprises an epigenetic mechanism related to
gene expression. Histone-modifying enzymes are generally not gene specific. Transcription factors or repressors locate and bind to their cognate response elements on
the genome (Elf et al. 2007) and concurrently recruit (via protein–protein interactions)
specific chromodomain proteins and histone-modifying enzymes to these specific
genomic regions. Notably, intracellular signal transduction pathways activated by
cell-surface receptors can directly interact with the chromatin structure, linking
environmental cues from cell-surface receptors to gene-specific histone posttranslational modification and the level of expression from the underlying genes.
Within the chromatin structure, posttranslational modifications not only occur on
the protruding N-terminal tail of histones, but can also affect the histone core and
C-terminus [e.g., H3 methylation of lysine 79 residues (H3K79me)] (Tweedie-Cullen
et al. 2009). These modifications include acetylation (Wade et al. 1997), poly-ADPribosylation, carbonylation (Wondrak et al. 2000), citrullination, biotinylation, formylation, palmitoylation, glycosylation, methylation (Jenuwein 2001), phosphorylation,
SUMOylation (Shiio and Eisenman 2003), proline isomerization, and ubiquitination
(Shilatifard 2006). The addition or removal of these histone modifications are often
regulated together (either positively or negatively), and act in synergy to modulate
gene transcription (activation or repression) by altering local chromatin structure and
access for transcriptional machinery. Typically, acetylation occurs at lysine residues
and all acetylation modifications are associated with transcriptional activation, as
are phosphorylation and arginine methylation modifications (Bernstein et al. 2005).
The effect of ubiquitination on transcription likewise is dependent on location,
with ubiquitination on H2A and H2B associated with transcriptional repression and
activation, respectively. In unicellular eukaryotes such as the yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae, histone sumoylation is also associated with transcriptional silencing
(Nathan et al. 2006), and H3 proline isomerization with transcriptional activation via
negative coupling with H3 methylation of lysine 36 residues (H3K36me) (Nelson et al.
2006). The relationship between regional patterns of histone modifications and locusspecific transcriptional activity provides evidence for the existence of a “histone code”
for determining cell-specific gene expression programs (Jenuwein and Allis 2001).
Other chromatin remodeling systems that have been implicated in epigenetic
changes include DNA looping, nucleosome sliding (mediated by ATP-dependent
chromatin remodeling proteins), and histone substitution (exchange of histones
from nucleosome with external histones) (Tsankova et al. 2007). For example,
different histone variants, which replace the standard isoforms also play a regulatory role and, in some cases, serve to mark gene activation (Henikoff et al. 2004).
The studies discussed in this chapter focus on the functions of H3 and H4 lysine
acetylation and methylation (H3/4-KAc/me) with some general considerations
concerning gene regulation, activation, and repression during development.
The occurrence of acetylation on histone tails is controlled by the opposing
enzymatic activities of histone acetyltransferases [HATs; i.e., CREB-binding protein
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(CBP)] and histone deacetylases (HDACs; i.e., the class I HDAC2) (Kuo and Allis
1998). Increased acetylation induces transcription activation – H3 acetylation of
lysine 9 residues (H3K9Ac) at the 50 region of genes is associated with promoter
activation – whereas deacetylation usually induces transcription repression. Histone
acetylation neutralizes the positive charge of the histone tail and decreases its affinity
to negatively charged DNA, generating a more open DNA conformation (euchromatin) (Hong et al. 1993; Sealy and Chalkley 1978). This enables access of transcription
factors, regulatory complexes, and RNA polymerase transcription factors to the DNA,
and the expression of the corresponding genes is also facilitated. Thus, H3K9Ac is
considered as a predominant marker of active gene transcription (Lee et al. 1993;
Perry and Chalkley 1982). On the other hand, removal of the acetyl group by HDAC
enzymes restores the positive charge to the lysine residue, fostering stronger interactions between histones and DNA (heterochromatin), reducing the accessibility of
transcription factors, and the transcription apparatus to their cognate binding sites,
resulting in gene silencing (Davie and Chadee 1998).
The amount of methylation on histone tails is controlled by the opposing enzymatic
activities of histone methyltransferases (HTMs; i.e., EZH2, G9a, MLL, Suv39H1)
(Lachner and Jenuwein 2002; Lachner et al. 2001; Lachner et al. 2003) and histone
demethylases (HDMs; i.e., JARID1d, Utx) (Shi et al. 2004; Tsukada et al. 2006).
Lysine residues can be mono- (me1), di- (me2), or tri-methylated (me3), and binding
of specific proteins that recognize methylated lysine positions can result in different
biological outcomes – some specific histone methylation events are associated with
gene silencing and some with gene activation depending on the lysine residue (Yan
and Boyd 2006). For example, H3 di- or tri-methylation of lysine 4 residues
(H3K4me2/3) at the 50 region of genes is associated with promoter activation, whereas
H3 di- or tri-methylation of lysine 9 residues (H3K9me2/3) is associated with Dnmt3a
activity, DNA methylation, and repressed gene transcription (Ohm and Baylin 2007).
H3 tri-methylation of lysine 27 residues also (H3K27me3), which is catalyzed by the
polycomb group (PcG) protein complex, represents transcriptional inactivation. Permissive and repressed intermediate chromatin states provide an additional level of
epigenetic regulation (Tsankova et al. 2007).
11.2.2 Genomic Methylation: The Primary Epigenetic
Modification
Of DNA methylation, cytosine methylation is the best understood and the most
stable epigenetic modification modulating the transcriptional plasticity of mammalian genomes. Recent studies examining whole-genome methylation profiles across
the plant and animal kingdoms have revealed both conserved and divergent features
of DNA methylation in unicellular eukaryotes to multicellular vertebrates (Feng
et al. 2010b; Law and Jacobsen 2010; Zemach et al. 2010). In plants and mammals,
the most methylated cytosines are found over repeat elements (Goll and Bestor
2005; Law and Jacobsen 2010; Suzuki and Bird 2008) and loss of this modification
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is associated with transcriptional reactivation as well as increased mobilization of
transposable elements (Slotkin and Martienssen 2007). These observations likely
reflect the ancestral role of cytosine methylation in the defense against invasive
DNA. Nonrepeat sequences may also be methylated, and methylation of such
sequences in the context of gene promoters often correlates with transcriptional
silencing in plants (Henderson and Jacobsen 2007) and mammals (Ooi et al. 2009;
Suzuki and Bird 2008). Despite similarities in the controlling functions of DNA
methylation, the dynamics and deposition of methylation patterns differ in several
respects between plants and mammals.
In plant genomes, DNA methylation can occur symmetrically (both strands) at
cytosine residues in both 50 -cytosine-phosphodiester-guanine-30 (CpG dinucleotide)
and CHG [H ¼ adenine (A), thymine (T) or cytosine (C)] contexts, and also asymmetrically in CHH context, with the latter directed and maintained by RNAs (Law
and Jacobsen 2010). Interestingly, in plants, methylation within genes (intragenically)
is thought to inhibit cryptic transcription initiation (Zilberman et al. 2007) or suppress
recombination or transposon insertion within genes (Zhu 2008).
In mammalian genomes, DNA methylation occurs mostly symmetrically at cytosine residues in the context of CpG dinucleotides in the mammalian genome, to form
5-methylcytosine (5mC) in a cell-specific pattern (Razin and Szyf 1984). However,
results from more recent studies suggest that CHH and CHG methylation may be more
common than previously appreciated in mammals: in human embryonic stem (ES)
cells it accounts for 25% of all methylated cytosines (Ramsahoye et al. 2000; Lister
et al. 2009). In mammals, 5mC patterns are established and maintained during
development by the Dnmt1 and Dnmt3 families of DNA methyltransferases, which
utilize the final methyl donor produced by one-carbon metabolism, S-adenosylmethionine (also known as SAM, SAMe, ademethione, and adoMet) (Adams et al. 1979).
The de novo establishment of DNA methylation is performed by methyltransferases
Dnmt3A and Dnmt3B, and modulated by Dnmt3L, which lacks direct catalytic
activity (Okano et al. 1999). These enzymes are all expressed in the central nervous
system (CNS) and are dynamically regulated during development and differentiation
(Feng et al. 2005; Goto et al. 1994). Indeed, Dnmt1 actively methylates CpG dinucleotides within nondividing somatic cells, such as neurons (Okano et al. 1999).
Importantly, global levels of 5mC and gene-specific DNA methylation profiles are
dynamic and vary spatially and temporally throughout life, especially during epigenetic remodeling in early development. The Dnmt1 maintenance methyltransferase
shows preference hemi-methylated DNA (Bestor and Verdine 1994; Leonhardt and
Bestor 1993; Smith 1994) and safeguards the methylome in dividing cells by faithfully copying the methylation pattern from parental to daughter strand during DNA
replication (Bestor 1988; Bestor 1992). This process is especially important during
embryogenesis, where the methylated maternal and paternal genomes are demethylated upon fertilization (to ensure the totipotency) and specific patterns of methylation
are then reestablished progressively commencing in the early postconception period
(Okano et al. 1999). Recent work in human cell lines has also shown that dynamic
remodeling of epigenetic marks may occur during the cell cycle (Brown and Szyf
2008; Kangaspeska et al. 2008; Metivier et al. 2008).
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As previously mentioned, the addition of a methyl group to cytosine nucleotides
in DNA does not change the primary DNA sequence per se, but the covalent
modification can regulate spatio-temporal gene expression and activity in a mitotically heritable fashion. Through this mechanism, DNA methylation controls cellspecific gene expression, X chromosome inactivation and parental imprinting, cell
survival, neuronal migration and maturation in the CNS, and can be modulated by
environmental stimuli such as nutrition, drugs, stress, and postnatal care (for review
see Weaver 2009). Furthermore, epigenetic regulation through DNA methylation
appears to be a critical evolutionary process – the absence of DNA methylation in
some eukaryotes such as yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, as well as the flatworm Caenorhabditis elegans and fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is associated with the evolutionary loss of DNMT
homologues (Goll and Bestor 2005).
11.2.3 Heterochromatin, DNA Methylation, and Gene Silencing
Typically, heterochromatin is associated with hypermethylated DNA and inhibition
of transcription (Holliday and Pugh 1975). During early development, for example,
repressive heterochromatin is important for X chromosome inactivation (or lyonization) during embryonic development to ensure that females, like males, have one
functional copy of the X chromosome in each cell (Orphanides and Reinberg 2002).
DNA methylation of gene promoter regions or enhancer sites inhibits gene
expression via two main mechanisms (Bird 2001; Bird and Wolffe 1999;
Hashimshony et al. 2003; Kadonaga 1998; Li 2002; Nan et al. 1998). In the direct
mechanism, the 5mC marking of CpG-rich promoters (Antequera and Bird 1993;
Bird 1996; Gardiner-Garden and Frommer 1987), intragenic, and intergenic regions
(Ching et al. 2005; Fazzari and Greally 2004; Khulan et al. 2006) blocks gene
expression, thereby establishing a mechanism to direct tissue-specific gene expression – 5mC within transcription factor binding sites displaces the binding of
methylation-sensitive transcription factors to their cognate binding sites (Tate and
Bird 1993; Watt and Molloy 1988). Here, DNA methylation serves as an epimutation of the transcription factor binding site and repels the transcription factor. DNA
methylation within intronic regions may regulate the activity of intragenic microRNA involved in regulating RNA splice variation, silencing of chromatin, degradation of mRNA, and blocking translation (Mattick and Makunin 2006). In the
indirect mechanism, the methylation sites attract methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD)
containing proteins, such as methyl-CpG-binding protein (MeCP)-2, which are
involved in “reading” methylation marks and binding to methylated DNA (Bird
2001; Bird and Wolffe 1999; Hashimshony et al. 2003; Kadonaga 1998; Li 2002;
Nan et al. 1998). These MBD proteins affect chromatin condensation by recruiting
corepressor proteins such as SIN3A and histone modification enzymes, leading to
chromatin compaction and gene silencing (Jones et al. 1998; Ng et al. 1999; Wade
et al. 1999; Zhang et al. 1999).
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11.2.4 Euchromatin, Active DNA Demethylation,
and Gene Activation
Similar to histone modification, DNA methylation is also potentially reversible during
development and in somatic tissues (Kersh et al. 2006; Lucarelli et al. 2001) including
predominantly postmitotic tissues such as the brain (Feng et al. 2010a; Weaver et al.
2004). Hypomethylated DNA is generally associated with euchromatin and gene
activation (Holliday and Pugh 1975).
As discussed previously, in the absence of maintenance and de novo DNA
methylation activity, DNA methylation patterns are lost passively during DNA
replication in primordial germ cells (Morgan et al. 2005). However, the precise
mechanism by which replication-independent (or active) demethylation occurs in
the adult mammalian brain remains as a subject of a lively ongoing debate (Ooi and
Bestor 2008; Wu and Zhang 2010). One proposed mechanism involves nucleotide
excision repair – the removal and replacement of mutations in the DNA and the
growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 (Gadd45a) protein has been proposed to
promote the DNA repair based mechanism (Barreto et al. 2007; Weiss et al. 1996). In
contrast, base excision repair involves the removal of a mutated or chemically altered
base and its replacement with the correct base (David and Williams 1998). However,
these two mechanisms may not account for the rapid and complete demethylation
observed in the paternal genome following fertilization of the embryo (Oswald et al.
2000). The removal of nucleotides would seriously compromise the integrity of the
genome, and it is unlikely an excision repair system that would be able to complete
genome-wide demethylation and nucleotide replacement within the observed 4-h time
frame (Oswald et al. 2000).
Interestingly, some components of the epigenetic machinery long thought to
be involved in establishing and maintaining DNA methylation patterns may also be
involved in their removal. This should not be unexpected as enzymes often have
the potential for bidirectional catalytic activity. A recent publication provides evidence for DNA demethylation induced by MBD3 (Brown et al. 2008), while two other
reports propose that DNMT3a and DNMT3b possess deaminase activity and are
involved in a dynamic demethylation–methylation pathway that operates during
gene transcription (Kangaspeska et al. 2008; Metivier et al. 2008). Prior to these
assertions, MBD2b (a shorter isoform of MBD2) was reported to trigger active DNA
demethylation by removal of methyl groups directly from the cytosine base and induce
gene expression in mammalian cells (Bhattacharya et al. 1999; Cervoni et al. 1999;
Cervoni and Szyf 2001; Detich et al. 2002, 2003a, b; Hamm et al. 2008; Ramchandani
et al. 1999; Szyf and Bhattacharya 2002a, b). The proposed reaction requires a water
molecule and involves the transfer of the methyl group of the cytosine to form
methanol (Bhattacharya et al. 1999; Cervoni et al. 1999; Ramchandani et al. 1999).
Although the assignment of demethylase activity to MBD2b was contested (Boeke
et al. 2000; Ng et al. 1999; Wade et al. 1999), MBD2b levels are inversely correlated
with the levels of DNA methylation of certain genes in hepatocytes (Goel et al. 2003)
and lymphocytes from lupus patients (Balada et al. 2007), and depletion of MBD2b
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results in hypermethylation of unmethylated genes in metastatic cancer (Pakneshan
et al. 2004; Shukeir et al. 2006). Hence, the ability to epigenetically reprogram
differentiated cells is becoming of major medical importance.
More recently, it has been shown that while 5mC constitutes only ~1% of all
bases in the mammalian genome, the modified base 5-hydroxymethylcytosine
(5hmC) constitutes ~5% of all cytosine species present at CpGs in MspI and
TaqaI sites in ES cell DNA and 20% of all cytosine species present at CpGs in
the brain, especially in Purkinje neurons (Kriaucionis and Heintz 2009; Tahiliani
et al. 2009). Since ES cells are highly proliferative while neurons are postmitotic,
the biological functions of 5hmC maybe cell type-specific and may influence
chromatin structure and recruit specific factors or may constitute an intermediate
component in cytosine demethylation. Herein, 5hmC may (1) displace 5mC-binding proteins (e.g., MeCP2) from methylated DNA (Valinluck et al. 2004); (2)
occlude DNMT1 during cell division resulting in passive DNA demethylation
(Valinluck and Sowers 2007); (3) be recognized as an aberrant base by DNA repair
mechanisms that replace 5hmC with cytosine resulting in active DNA demethylation; or (4) be recognized by transcription factors that recruit and target chromatinmodifying enzymes to specific genomic regions, thus altering chromatin structure
and DNA methylation status.
DNMT1-mediated oxidation of cytosine with formaldehyde may generate 5hmC,
although this remains to be demonstrated under physiological relevant conditions
(Liutkeviciute et al. 2009). Tahiliani et al. (2009) recently reported that the human
mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion protein TET1 – which is an a-ketoglutarate
(a-KG) and Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenase – specifically binds 5mC and catalyses
the conversion to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) (Tahiliani et al. 2009). Ito et al.
(2010) extend these studies by demonstrating that all three murine Tet proteins
(Tet1–3) catalyze a similar reaction (Ito et al. 2010). Furthermore, Tet1 was shown
to mediate the regulation of Nanog, which is a transcription factor critically
involved with self-renewal of undifferentiated ES cells. Ectopic Tet1 expression
resulted in increased Nanog promoter 5hmC and increased Nanog expression.
Whether 5hmC is further processed to C by an enzyme-catalyzed process or
through base excision remains to be determined. Notably, a 5hmC-specific DNA
glycosylase activity has been previously reported (Cannon et al. 1988). Alternatively, decreased Tet1 expression in preimplantation embryos was associated with
increased methylation of the Nanog promoter, decreased Nanog gene expression,
and a bias toward trophectoderm differentiation (Ito et al. 2010). Together, these
findings demonstrated a role for Tet1-mediated DNA demethylation during maintenance of pluripotent ES cell self-renewal and specification, including neural
differentiation.
In summary, DNA methylation patterns are likely defined by chromatin status,
which gates the accessibility of the DNA methylation/demethylation components to
the underlying genes. This process may involve transcription factors or repressors
that recruit and target chromatin-modifying enzymes to specific genomic regions.
The chemical nature of the chromatin modification then defines the methylation
status of the underlying genes, either through the facilitation of the DNA
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demethylation or the recruitment of the DNA methylation machinery (Weaver et al.
unpublished). Clearly the exact timing and mechanisms through which a given
pattern of chromatin changes from transient effects on gene regulation to more
persistent epigenetic programming of gene expression by DNA methylation will be
context-dependent (Madhani et al. 2008).
11.2.5 Dsyregulation of the Epigenetic Machinery
and Neurodevelopment
Importantly, from a plasticity perspective, loss-of-function mutations in key components of the epigenetic machinery in humans are associated with several developmental and cognitive disorders with implications for risk of later life mental
disorders (Jiang et al. 2004). Genetic variants of genes encoding the DNMT
enzymes have been identified as risk factors of disease, including cancer (Cebrian
et al. 2006; Kelemen et al. 2008; Lee et al. 2005; Montgomery et al. 2004), systemic
lupus erythematosus (Park et al. 2004), and a rare autosomal recessive disorder
termed ICF (immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies) syndrome (Hansen et al. 1999), diseases which are characterized by altered DNA
methylation patterns. In addition, functional polymorphisms of genes involved in
folate metabolism [such as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), a regulatory enzyme in folate metabolism] have been shown to alter intracellular SAM
levels (Miller et al. 1994; Poirier et al. 2001), decrease global DNA methylation
levels in peripheral blood leukocytes (Friso et al. 2005), and to be linked to the
increased risk of many serious health conditions (Giovannucci 2004). Thus, genotype is likely to be a further major influence on epigenotype.
The importance of epigenetic mechanisms in neurodevelopmental conditions
including mental retardation has been the best characterized by mutations in the X
chromosome-linked gene MeCP2 in individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) (Amir
et al. 1999), and mutations in the CBP gene (which has HAT activity) in individuals
with Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome (RTS) (Alarcon et al. 2004).
Both MeCP2 and CBP are highly expressed in postmitotic neurons and are involved
in regulating neural gene expression (Chen et al. 2003; Martinowich et al. 2003).
Mice with truncated MeCP2 exhibit genome-wide H3 hyperacetylation (H3Ac),
neuronal atrophy, increased anxiety, cognitive deficits, and social withdrawal,
which can be further exacerbated by forebrain knockout of the brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (Shahbazian et al. 2002). Remarkably, many of the
physiological, cognitive, and emotional deficits associated with MeCP2 mutant
mice are reversed through restoration of the MECP2 gene (Guy et al. 2007), or
by ectopic BDNF expression, demonstrating a functional interaction between
MeCP2 and BDNF in RTT disease progression (Chang et al. 2006).
Mutations of the CBP HAT domain in several RTS cases are associated with
genome-wide histone hypoacetylation and cognitive dysfunction in adulthood
(Kalkhoven et al. 2003). The learning and memory deficits are attributed to
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perturbed neural plasticity (Korzus et al. 2004), however, RTS individuals also
exhibit early cognitive dysfunction (Roelfsema and Peters 2007) and display neural
dysgenesis, including cortical abnormalities (Sener 1995). Similar to RTS in humans,
mice with a heterozygous null mutation of CBP perform poorly in cognitive tasks
and show decreased genome-wide histone acetylation (for review see Josselyn
2005). We examined the potential role for CBP in neural precursors born in the
subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles of the developing murine cortex, which
sequentially generate neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes (Wang et al. 2010).
Herein, we found that phosphorylation of CBP by atypical protein kinase C (aPKC)
z acts as an epigenetic switch to promote precursor differentiation. Interestingly,
this epigenetic mechanism is perturbed in the fetal brains of CBP haploinsufficient
mice, which exhibit early behavioral deficits as pups in ultrasound vocalization
following maternal separation (Wang et al. 2010). These findings provide a novel
mechanism whereby environmental cues, acting through histone modifying
enzymes, can regulate stem cell epigenetic status and thereby directly promote
differentiation, which regulates neurobehavioral development. This begs the question of whether similar epigenetic mechanisms regulate differentiation in other
brain regions, such as in the small number of new neurons that arise from the
subgranulare zone of the dentate gyrus within the hippocampus throughout life
(Cameron and Gould 1994).
11.3
Experience-Dependent Effects on the Epigenome
and Phenotypic Variability in Nature
There are a growing number of examples illustrating the relationship between
epigenetic changes and phenotypic variability in divergent eukaryotic species (for
review see Weaver 2010). The potential flexibility of the epigenome is a means of
responding to changing environmental stimuli, and is especially important for
plants, which cannot move in response to unfavorable conditions (Martienssen
and Colot 2001). For example, in the flowering plant Arabidopsis, the cold-induced
acceleration of flowering in different climates (vernalization) is correlated with
the rate of epigenetic silencing by H3 tri-methylation of lysine 27 residues
(H3K27me3) at the Flowering Locus C (FLC) gene (Shindo et al. 2006).
Another mode of epigenetic inheritance in plants is by paramutation: an epigenetic
modification induced by cross-talk between allelic loci (Chandler 2007). The paramutation is inherited by transmitting the RNA transcript from the “paramutating”
allele during gametogenesis and by propagating this heritable message to somatic and
germ cells of the offspring by an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Alleman et al.
2006). Unlike a typical mutation, paramutation results in quantitatively variable
phenotypes. Paramutation-like effects suggest the possibility of non-Mendelian
heredity comparable to the plant systems, for example, the interallelic transfer of
DNA methylation patterns established after heterologous recombination during meiosis (Rassoulzadegan et al. 2002). Currently, the only example of a paramutation
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mode of epigenetic inheritance in mammals is in transgenic mice carrying a lacZ
insertion mutation of the c-kit oncogene, which undergo the zygotic transfer of RNA
molecules and inheritance of a white-tail phenotype (Rassoulzadegan et al. 2006).
In social invertebrates, the production of contrasting adult morphologies as well as
different reproductive and behavioral systems is critical to their social organization
and division of labor (Evans and Wheeler 1999, 2001; Hartfelder and Engels 1998).
Recent studies suggest that nutritional effects on epigenetic mechanisms mediate this
type of phenotypic plasticity. For example, fertile queens and sterile workers are
alternative forms of the adult female honeybee (Apis mellifera) that develop from
genetically identical larvae following differential feeding with royal jelly – a proteinrich substance secreted from glands on the heads of worker bees. A larva destined to
become a queen is fed large quantities of royal jelly inside a specially constructed
compartment called a queen cup. The queen is then fed royal honey exclusively for
the rest of her life. Findings from recent studies suggest that royal jelly silences
Dnmt3, an enzyme involved in genome-wide gene silencing in the newly hatched
larvae, with effects on the larval developmental trajectory (Kucharski et al. 2008).
Kucharski et al. 2008 showed that Dnmt3 siRNA-treated individuals emerged as
queens with fully developed ovaries and a larger abdomen for egg laying, whereas the
nontreated control larvae expressing Dnmt3 developed into the default sterile worker
variety, due to epigenetic silencing of the genes encoding the queen phenotype. These
results suggest that DNA methylation can be differentially altered by nutritional
input, and that the flexibility of epigenetic modifications supports shifts in developmental fates, with implications for reproductive and behavioral status. Of course,
genome-wide DNA methylation mapping and gene expression profiling in both social
and solitary insects would reveal the underlying molecular interactions supporting
these complex evolvable biological systems.
Perhaps one of the best illustrations in mammals of how phenotypes can differ
dramatically due to epigenetic variability alone is the yellow agouti (Avy) mouse
model. These mice have a mutation upstream from the Agouti locus, which
involves the de novo retrotransposition of a long terminal repeat (LTR) transposable element (Morgan et al. 1999). This intracisternal A-particle (IAP) transposon
provides an alternate promoter for the gene, which drives expression during the
development of the hair and causes a yellow fur phenotype. However, this alternate
promoter overexpresses the gene in other tissues, leading to the eventual development of obesity and insulin resistance (Morgan et al. 1999). Genetically identical
littermates with this IAP transposon have different levels of activity of the alternate
promoter, and as a consequence, different degrees of fur discoloration and metabolic consequences. Importantly, the stable interindividual phenotypic variation is
associated with the degree of variable histone modification and stochastic 5mC
patterns at six CpG dinucleotides within the 50 LTR of the Avy IAP promoter
sequence (Dolinoy et al. 2010). In yellow mice, the Avy IAP promoter LTR is
hypomethylated and enriched for H3 and H4 di-acetylation (H3/H4Ac2), which
is associated with enhanced Avy IAP promoter activation, leading to yellow fur
and susceptibility toward obesity and tumorigenesis. Conversely, in pseudoagouti
mice, the Avy IAP promoter LTR is hypermethylated and enriched for H4
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tri-methylation of lysine 20 residues (H4K20me3), which is associated with Agouti
gene silencing, brown fur, and protection from obesity and cancer in adulthood
(Dolinoy et al. 2010).
Variations in parental investment in mammals, such as nutrient supply provided
by the parent and behavioral interactions, also affect the development of defensive
responses and reproductive strategies in the progeny (Denenberg 1999; Ottinger
and Tanabe 1969; Ressler and Anderson 1973). By providing nutrition, the maternal nurturing influences growth and development of offspring health (Morgan et al.
1999). As diet-derived methyl donors and cofactors are necessary for the synthesis
of SAM, which serves as the donor of methyl groups for DNA methylation,
environmental factors that alter early nutrition and/or SAM synthesis can potentially influence adult metabolism via persistent alterations in DNA methylation
(Dolinoy et al. 2006; Waterland et al. 2006a; Waterland and Jirtle 2003; Waterland
et al. 2006b; Wolff et al. 1998). In Avy mice, maternal supplementation with methyl
donors (Waterland and Jirtle 2003) or the isoflavinoid genistein (Dolinoy et al.
2006) – a phytoestrogen found in soy and present at high levels in infant formula –
during gestation can produce offspring with increased methylation of transposable
elements in or upstream of the agouti gene, respectively, decreased Agouti gene
expression, brown fur, and a reduced risk of lifelong chronic disease.
In the rat, dams fed a diet low in one-carbon donors during pregnancy produce
offspring with decreased DNA methylation and increased association of H3K9Ac at
promoter regions of specific genes, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) exon
110 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARa), and increased
mRNA expression in the liver of juvenile (Lillycrop et al. 2005) and adult offspring
(Lillycrop et al. 2007). These epigenetic changes and reduced DNMT1 expression
were largely prevented by maternal folic acid supplementation during pregnancy
(Lillycrop et al. 2005, 2007, 2008) as well as by increasing folic acid intake during
the juvenile–pubertal period (Burdge et al. 2009). Together with the Avy mice
findings, these data suggest that early life nutrition has the potential to influence
epigenetic programming in the brain not only during early development but also in
adult life, thereby modulating health throughout life.
From an evolutionary perspective, the effects of nutrient restriction may be in
response to adaptive programs that sense the organisms’ nutritional state in gestation, which results in tissue-specific chromatin remodeling (Ke et al. 2006;
MacLennan et al. 2004; Sinclair et al. 2007). Indeed, the availability of dietary
methionine and folate alter the parent-of-origin effects on the methylation status of
imprinted genes [including insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-2] (Luedi et al. 2005;
Waterland et al. 2006b) that mediate many of the actions of growth hormone on
somatic growth and tissue maintenance (Feinberg 2007). Support of this phenomenon is evidenced by recent studies in nonhuman primates that show maternal nutrient
deprivation during pregnancy produce organ- and gestational age-dependent perturbations in global DNA methylation levels in the kidney and forebrain of the
developing fetus (Unterberger et al. 2009).
In humans, it has long been proposed (Hales and Barker 1992) that poor fetal and
infant growth; and the subsequent development of disease later in life emerge from
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nutritional programming early in life (Wells 2003). Epidemiological data reveal that
cardiovascular and diabetes mortality in children can be influenced by the nutritional
status of their parents and grandparents (Kaati et al. 2002). However, the most
comprehensive study to date of adaptive transgenerational epigenetic effects in mammals is that of the maternally transmitted responses to stress in the rat. In particular,
differential maternal behavior in the rat alters the epigenetic status of the promoter of
the hippocampal GR, which is associated with stable individual differences on stress
responsivity and cognitive and emotional development in the offspring.
11.4
Natural Variations of Maternal Care in the Rat
and Phenotypic Variability in the Adult Offspring
Natural variations in maternal care in humans and nonhuman primates are also
observed in rodents and similarly are associated with divergent behavioral phenotypes in the offspring. In the rat, naturally occurring variations in the frequency of
maternal pup licking/grooming and arched-back nursing (LG-ABN) are associated
with stable interindividual differences on stress responsiveness, emotionality, cognitive performance, and reproductive behavior in the adult offspring (Caldji et al.
1998; Francis et al. 1999; Liu et al. 1997; Myers et al. 1989; Stern 1997). In
adulthood, the female offspring of mothers that exhibit increased levels of pup
LG-ABN (i.e., High LG-ABN mothers) over the first week of life are themselves
high in maternal LG-ABN behavior toward their pups and likewise, the offspring of
Low LG-ABN mothers are low in maternal LG-ABN behavior toward their pups
(Francis et al. 1999). Neonatal cross-fostering as well as postweaning environmental
enrichment and impoverishment can reverse behavioral differences between female
High and Low LG-ABN offspring on measures of maternal behavior and anxiety
(Champagne and Meaney 2007). Furthermore, gestational stress during the third
trimester reduces LG-ABN behavior in High LG-ABN mothers and the adult
offspring resemble those of Low LG-ABN mothers on measures of anxiety and
maternal behaviors, an effect which is sustained through the second and third litter
(Champagne and Meaney 2006). These findings suggest that individual differences
in stress reactivity and maternal care are transmitted across generations through a
behavioral mode of transmission linked to variations in maternal behavior, which
serves to enhance the capacity for defensive responses in the progeny toward
increased sensitivity to future (stressful) environments.
11.4.1 Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal and Behavioral
Responses to Stress
The relationship between early life environment and health in the adult offspring
is mediated by maternal influences on the development of neuroendocrine systems
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that underlie hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) and behavioral responses
to stress (Francis and Meaney 1999; Heim et al. 2000; Nemeroff 1996;
Repetti et al. 2002; Seckl and Meaney 1993; Sroufe 1997). Exposure to different
levels of maternal LG-ABN during the postnatal period is associated with HPA
blunting and changes in forebrain GR expression levels that persist into adulthood
(Francis et al. 1999; Liu et al. 1997). The magnitude of the HPA response to stress is
a function of the neural stimulation of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor
(CRF) release. This activates the pituitary–adrenal system as well as modulatory
influences, as evidenced by glucocorticoid (GC) negative feedback in the hippocampus that inhibits CRF synthesis and release, dampening HPA responses to stress
(De Kloet et al. 1998). GCs bind to GR to mediate the peripheral stress response and
feedback to the CNS to modulate further activation of the HPA response (Herman
et al. 2003).
The adult offspring of High LG-ABN mothers show increased hippocampal GR
mRNA expression, enhanced feedback sensitivity to GCs, decreased hypothalamic
CRF mRNA expression, and consequently more modest ACTH and cortisol stress
responsivity, and reduced fearful behavior under conditions of stress in comparison
with adult animals reared by Low LG-ABN dams (Caldji et al. 1998; Francis et al.
1999; Liu et al. 1997; Weaver et al. 2004, 2006, 2007). Interestingly, removing the
difference in hippocampal GR levels erases the effects of early experience on HPA
responses to stress in adulthood (Meaney et al. 1989), demonstrating that the
difference in hippocampal GR expression serves as a mechanism for the effects
of early experience on the development of individual differences in HPA responses
to stress (Meaney 2001). Likewise, impairments to HPA axis regulation and an
increase in anxiety-related behavior were observed in mice with forebrain-specific
disruption of the GR gene and loss of hippocampal GR expression (Boyle et al.
2006). Furthermore, the adult offspring of the gestationally stressed High LG-ABN
mothers have reduced hippocampal GR protein expression (Weaver et al. unpublished data) and resemble those of low LG-ABN mothers on behavioral measures of
anxiety and maternal behavior (Champagne and Meaney 2006).
11.4.2 Maternal Effects and the Emerging Importance
of the Epigenome
The observations so far suggest that the developing rodent forebrain is vulnerable
to tactile stimulation provided by the mother during the first week of life and that
different frequencies of LG-ABN presented during this period help to program
neurodevelopment with long-lasting consequences on hippocampal GR function
and HPA responses to stress. Cross-fostering paradigms show direct effects of
maternal care on the behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to stress, and therefore, support an epigenetic mechanism (Francis et al. 1999; Liu et al. 1997). In
accordance with this hypothesis, we found differences in 5mC patterns and chromatin
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H3K9Ac status in the exon 17 promoter, an upstream regulatory region that
regulates the expression of the coding regions of the GR gene (McCormick et al.
2000) in the hippocampus of the offspring of High and Low LG-ABN mothers
(Weaver et al. 2004). These group differences emerge over the first week of life,
remain stable into adulthood, and are reversed by cross-fostering (Weaver et al.
2004). More specifically, our data suggest that an epimutation within the transcription factor nerve growth factor-inducible protein-A (NGFI-A) response element in
the GR exon 17 promoter alters NGFI-A binding and might explain the sustained
effect of maternal care on hippocampal GR expression and HPA responses to stress
(Weaver et al. 2007).
The ability of maternal behavior to affect several behavioral phenotypes in the
offspring, including maternal care, provides a mechanism by which acquired and
stable behavioral traits can be propagated across generations through epigenetic
modifications of DNA and chromatin structure. Support of this idea is evidenced by
the increased hypothalamic CRF and GR exon 17 promoter methylation, decreased
central CRF and GR expression, and increased HPA responsivity in adult mice born
to gestationally stressed dams (Mueller and Bale 2008). On the other hand, brief
(15 min) periods of handling of daily for the first weeks of life (which increases
maternal LG-ABN behavior) is associated with increased repressor neuron-restrictive
silencer factor (NRSF) and decreased hypothalamic CRF promoter expression in
the adult offspring (Korosi et al. 2010). Within the CRF promoter is a NRSF response
element (Seth and Majzoub 2001). Increased NRSF binding and recruitment of
additional repressor complexes to the CRF promoter might explain the sustained
effect of handling on hypothalamic CRF expression (Zheng et al. 2009).
Together with our findings, these data suggest that the enzymes required for
DNA methylation are involved in programming of neuroendocrine function and
behavior, and may also contribute to the timing and sensitivity of the neonate to
maternal adversity during pregnancy and lactation.
11.4.3 From Maternal Care to Chromatin Plasticity and Beyond
We propose that maternal behavior stimulates a signaling pathway that activates
specific transcription factors, directing the epigenetic machinery (chromatin
and DNA modifying enzymes) to exact targets within the genome. Our in vivo
and in vitro studies suggest that maternal LG-ABN in early life elicits a thyroid
hormone-dependent increase in serotonin (5-HT) activity at 5-HT7 receptors,
subsequent activation of cAMP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA)
accompanied by the recruitment of the transcription factor NGFI-A. NGFI-A, in
turn, recruits CBP (which has HAT activity) (Chawla et al. 1998; Meaney et al.
1987, 2000; Weaver et al. 2007; Yu et al. 2004) and the demethylating enzyme
MBD2b (Carvin et al. 2003) to the GR exon 17 promoter (McCormick et al. 2000).
Our data suggest that CBP activity increases H3K9Ac, opening the chromatin
structure enabling the binding of both NGFI-A and MBD2b proteins simultaneously
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to the same GR exon 17 promoter sequence (Weaver et al. unpublished data).
MBD2b demethylates the NGFI-A response element, allowing stable binding of
NGFI-A to its cognate binding site resulting in an increase in levels of hippocampal
GR expression in the neonatal offspring. NGFI-A discriminates between the methylated and unmethylated GR exon 17 promoters and selectively activates the
unmethylated sequences. Therefore, the different methylation states of the GR
exon 17 promoter from the offspring of High and Low LG-ABN results in different
levels of hippocampal GR expression in the adult offspring. These data chart a
course through which maternal behavior results in epigenetic modification of a
specific gene in the brain. Interestingly, although MBD2-deficient mice are viable,
the postpartum MBD2-null mothers were significantly slower at retrieving pups to
their nests in comparison with the wild-type dams (Hendrich et al. 2001). This
suggests that MBD2 might also have an important role in the behavioral transmission of epigenetic modifications across generations by the mother. Indeed, we have
previously shown that this behavioral transmission is associated with cytosine
methylation of the estrogen receptor (ER)-a 1b promoter and ER-a expression in
the medial preoptic (MPOA) area of female offspring (Champagne et al. 2003,
2006). Notably, maternal care influences the maternal behavior of female offspring,
an effect that also appears to be related to epigenetic regulation of endocrine
function, providing a mechanism for transgenerational inheritance of maternal
behavior from mother to offspring. As environmental stressors influence the nature
of maternal behavior, maternal care remains a key mediator of epigenetic programming of neurodevelopment, and in turn, the expression of biological defense
systems that respond to environmental adversity.
Similar processes at comparable epigenetic labile regions could explain why the
adult offspring of High and Low LG-ABN dams exhibit wide spread differences in
hippocampal gene expression and cognitive function (Weaver et al. 2006). For
example, the adult offspring of Low LG-ABN mothers show enhanced binding of
MECP2 to the BDNF promoter in the hippocampus (Weaver et al. unpublished
data), decreased hippocampal BDNF mRNA and protein expression, reduced
hippocampal neuronal survival, reduced hippocampal synaptogenesis, and synaptic
plasticity (Bredy et al. 2003a; Liu et al. 2000; Weaver et al. 2002). Consequently,
these offspring perform worse in tests of spatial learning and object recognition by
comparison with adult animals reared by High LG-ABN dams (Bredy et al. 2003b;
Liu et al. 2000). This is consistent with recent studies demonstrating that exposure
of infant rats to stressed caretakers that predominately displayed abusive behaviors
(e.g., dragging and rough handling) produces offspring with increased BDNF
IV promoter methylation and decreased in forebrain BDNF mRNA expression
throughout life, with evidence of transgenerational inheritance of these traits in
the abused female offspring (Roth et al. 2009). Central infusion of the DNA
methylation inhibitor zeburaline increases forebrain BDNF mRNA expression in
the abused offspring to levels comparable with the nonabused offspring. Interestingly, the effect of maternal care on cognitive function in the offspring of Low
LG-ABN mothers is largely reversed with peripubertal exposure to an enriched
environment (Bredy et al. 2003b, 2004; Champagne et al. 2008), implying that
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epigenetic labile regions in the rat brain remain environmentally responsive well
beyond the perinatal period.
11.4.4 Evidence of Epigenetic Reprogramming
in the Adult Brain
Although the majority of epigenetic programming is thought to occur early in
postnatal life, it is possible to reverse these patterns through social experience, diet,
or pharmacological intervention (Fischer et al. 2007; Weaver et al. 2004, 2005). The
potential for epigenetic programs to be reversed has several important implications,
especially for interventions aimed at improving behavioral outcomes and cognitive
performance in children born into adversity (Olds et al. 1998, 2004a, b).
Animal models suggest that there is the potential for phenotypic plasticity
in response to social experience during adolescence and adulthood. In rodents, social
isolation during the postweaning period is associated with decreased forebrain expression of 5-HT receptor subtypes and increased anxiety-like responses, and is attenuated
by antidepressant treatment (Bibancos et al. 2007; Heritch et al. 1990). Similarly, adult
rodents exposed to a single stressful agonistic behavioral encounter (social defeat)
show prolonged increased CRF expression and HPA responses to stress (Buwalda
et al. 1999; Cooper and Huhman 2007). Social avoidance behavior that was induced
by chronic social defeat stress given in adulthood coincided with demethylation of
the CRF gene and increased hypothalamic CRF mRNA transcript expression (Evan
et al. 2010). Conversely, juvenile environmental enrichment in rats is associated with
increased hippocampal NGFI-A and GR expression (Olsson et al. 1994), reduced
basal coticosterone levels, and a reduced HPA response to stress (Belz et al. 2003).
Long-term stress in the adult has been shown to result in hippocampal cell loss
(Anderton 1997), promoting the notion that stress in early life might also alter
hippocampal neuron structure and function permanently (Kerr et al. 1991; Sapolsky
1985). Remarkably, environmental enrichment increases hippocampal H3 and H4
acetylation and enhances cognitive performance in juvenile rodents that have
selective loss of hippocampal neurons (Fischer et al. 2007).
We therefore examined the effects of pharmacological intervention on brain gene
expression and physiological and behavioral responses to stress within the context
of tactile stimulation in early life. Central infusion of the HDAC inhibitor (HDACi)
trichostatin A (TSA) in the adult offspring of Low LG-ABN mothers increased the
H3K9Ac, cytosine demethylation, NGFI-A binding, and GR exon 17 promoter
activation and reduced the HPA responses and anxiety-related behavior to levels
comparable with those observed in the offspring of High LG-ABN dams (Weaver
et al. 2004, 2006). Conversely, chronic central infusion of adult offspring of High or
Low LG-ABN mothers with the dietary amino acid L-methionine, the precursor of
SAM (Cantoni 1975; Mudd and Cantoni 1958) and inhibitor of demethylation
(Pascale et al. 1991), increased the DNA methylation within the NGFI-A-binding
site. This resulted in reduced NGFI-A binding to the exon 17 promoter selectively in
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the offspring of High LG-ABN dams, removing group differences in both hippocampal GR expression and HPA responses to stress (Weaver et al. 2005). The idea
that DNA methylation patterns remain dynamic in adulthood is supported by recent
work in rats receiving hippocampal-dependent contextual fear conditioning training
(Miller et al. 2008; Miller and Sweatt 2007). Herein, TSA likely targets the class I
HDAC2, as HDAC2 deficiency in mice results in increased synapse number and
memory facilitation, similar to HDACi treatment (Guan et al. 2009). Together, these
data suggest that the machinery required for de novo DNA methylation or demethylation remains present and responsive to cellular signaling cascades in the mature
mammalian brain. Indeed, gene expression profiling of hippocampal tissue from the
adult offspring of High and Low LG-ABN mothers reveal specific effects on the
hippocampal transcriptome (Weaver et al. 2006).
11.5
Interindividual Differences in Human Behavior
and Health
Studies in humans suggest that the forebrain GR function is complicit in the regulation
of the HPA axis and the development of affective disorders (DeRijk and Sternberg
1997; Holsboer 2000; Invitti et al. 1999). This raises the question of whether epigenetic modification in response to early environmental conditions can explain the
effects of early infant adversity on adult health in humans (for detailed review see
Weaver 2009). Interestingly, during their lifetime, monozygotic twins increasingly
differ in their epigenotype (lifelong drift) (Fraga et al. 2005), which might explain the
frequent discordance of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar
disorder (Kato et al. 2005). Although higher epigenetic discordance in fraternal
(dizygotic) twins can result from differences in DNA sequence, recent in silico single
nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analyses together with animal studies favor epigenomic differences in the zygotes (Kaminsky et al. 2009). A recent review by Schlinzig
et al. (2009) found that global DNA methylation levels in cord white blood cells
are higher in newborns delivered by Caesarean section (CS) than those delivered by
normal vaginal delivery. Although it is currently unknown how gene expression is
affected in this case, individuals born by CS have been reported to face an increased
risk for common diseases later in life (Cardwell et al. 2008; Hakansson and Kallen
2003). These studies raise the possibility that suboptimal epigenetic modifications
arise over time resulting in late onset mental pathologies.
Indeed, aberrant gene transcription resulting from altered epigenetic regulation
is associated with cognitive defects in several progressive pathologies including
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), schizophrenia, and depression. Increased expression
of presenilin 1 (PS1), a member of the g-secretase complex, correlates with PS1
promoter hypomethylation in postmortem brain samples from AD patients, and
with increased b-amyloid formation in vitro (Scarpa et al. 2003; Wang et al. 2008).
Down regulation of reelin, a glycoprotein involved in neuronal migration during
development and cognitive functions in adults, and of the glutamate decarboxylase
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that catalyzes GABA synthesis (GAD67), are associated with promoter hypermethylation in postmortem samples of schizophrenic patients (Abdolmaleky et al.
2005; Guidotti et al. 2000; Impagnatiello et al. 1998).
Consistent with this hypothesis, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) promoter methylation
(Brown and Szyf 2007, 2008) was shown to be increased in suicide victims who
were victims of abuse during childhood compared with controls (McGowan et al.
2008), suggesting a reduced capacity for protein synthesis in suicide brains
(Brown and Szyf 2007, 2008). Protein synthesis has long been known to be
required for associative learning to consolidate into long-term memory (Agranoff
et al. 1967), which involves epigenetic regulation (Korzus et al. 2004), and a
decline in cognitive plasticity is commonly observed with age (Kadar et al. 1990).
More recently, it was found that the expression levels of DNMT enzymes are
altered in suicide brains and specific genes are aberrantly silenced by DNA
methylation (Poulter et al. 2008). For example, the GABA-A a1 receptor subunit
(Poulter et al. 2008) and BDNF exon IV (Keller et al. 2010) promoter regions are
both hypermethylated and their gene expression reduced in the forebrains of
depressed patients who committed suicide in comparison with controls, further
suggesting a link between mental disease and abnormal methylation. These
findings suggest that a shift in the steady-state balance between DNA methylating
and demethylating machinery might influence specific neural pathways and
account for interindividual differences in emotional reactivity and mental health
in humans.
The effects of tactile stimulation through mother–infant interactions on interindividual differences in cognitive development and stress responses in rodents is
supported by work in humans (Feldman et al. 2002) and nonhuman primates
(Harlow and Zimmermann 1959). This raises the question of whether comparable
epigenetic labile regions to the GR exon 17 promoter exist in the human genome.
Alignment of splice sites reveals that the distally located exon 1F promoter of
human type II GR (hGR, OMIM þ138040; NR3C1) shows high homology to the
GR exon 17 promoter in the rat, and contains an NGFI-A-binding site (Turner and
Muller 2005). Interestingly, studies in healthy human subjects show that CpG
methylation patterns of conserved transcription factor binding sites on the NR3C1
exon 1F promoter are both stochastic and unique to the individual (Turner et al.
2008). Furthermore, neonatal methylation at the 50 CpG dinucleotide within the
NGFI-A-binding site on the NR3C1 exon 1F promoter has been suggested as an
early epigenetic marker of maternal mood and risk of altered HPA function in
infants 3 months of age (Oberlander et al. 2008). Although future studies are
required to examine the functional consequence of the methylated 50 CpG dinucleotide, these findings are consistent with our studies in the neonate and adult
offspring of Low LG-ABN mothers that show hypermethylation of the 50 CpG
dinucleotide within the NGFI-A-binding site on the exon 17 promoter, decreased
GR expression and increased HPA responsivity (Weaver et al. 2004). In support of
this paradigm, a recent study shows that the NGFI-A-binding sites on the NR3C1
exon 1F promoter are hypermethylated in the hippocampus of suicide victims with
a history of childhood abuse and mRNA transcript expression from the exon 1F
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promoter is decreased by comparison to controls (victims of sudden, accidental
death with no history of abuse) (McGowan et al. 2009), suggesting that the
transmission of vulnerability for depression from parent to offspring could occur
through the epigenetic modification of genomic regions that are implicated in the
regulation of stress responses.
11.6
Concluding Remarks
The dynamic interdependence of an individual’s genome, lifestyle, and health later
in life has lead to the realization that the epigenome is essentially the study of gene–
environment interactions. Sensory input during early development plays an important
role in brain development with long-term consequences on brain functioning in adulthood. The studies presented in this chapter provide support for the idea that mother–
offspring interactions early in life enhance the capacity for defensive responses in
the progeny by programming emotional, cognitive, and endocrine systems toward
increased sensitivity to adversity, and that these programs can be transmitted across
generations via an epigenetic mode of inheritance involving maternal behavior,
which in turn is responsive to changes in environmental stimuli (biotic, physical,
and social). However, epigenetic reprogramming of distinct patterns of gene expression can take place at several points throughout life in response to developmental,
physiological, psychological, pathological, and/or environmental cues.
These findings are restricted to the study of a single promoter in only one gene in
one brain region; at this time, these results might be best thought of as a proof
of principle. The degree to which this mechanism generalizes to environmental
programming in other systems remains to be determined, and may well reveal an
alternative mechanism for programming of the epigenome. The challenge will be
to find comparable epigenetic labile regions. Genome-wide methodologies (epigenomics, metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, etc.) of epigenetic changes
assessing different regions and cell types in the brain are necessary. The examination of genotype–epigenotype–environment interactions from a developmental
perspective has broad ranging implications for our understanding social, physiological, and pathological processes and their interrelations. Accordingly, we are
only beginning to understand the mechanisms whereby early life experience suppresses or enhances expression of adaptive phenotypic behaviors throughout life.
11.7
Competing Interests Statement
The author declares that he has no competing financial interests.
Acknowlegments I would like to thank Dr. Shelley E. Brown for her helpful comments and
numerous constructive suggestions throughout the preparation of this manuscript.
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.
Chapter 12
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors: A Novel
Therapeutic Approach for Cognitive Disorders
Viviane Labrie
Abstract Epigenetic mechanisms have a central role in regulating gene expression
and are capable of influencing complex cognitive functions. In particular, acetylation of histone proteins is an epigenetic modification involved in mediating synaptic
plasticity, learning, and memory. Emerging evidence indicates that increased
histone acetylation through the inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) can
facilitate the formation of long-term memories in preclinical studies. Moreover,
HDAC inhibitors have been reported to ameliorate cognitive deficits in animal
models relevant to neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. HDAC
inhibitors have also been found to enhance the extinction of learned behaviors,
including drug-seeking behaviors. Consequently, HDAC inhibition may be a useful
approach in the treatment of a wide range of disorders characterized by cognitive
dysfunction. Future HDAC-based pharmacotherapies will benefit from a greater
understanding of different HDAC isoforms and the molecular pathways specifically
involved in inducing cognitive enhancement.
Keywords Drug addiction Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors Memory Neurodegenerative disorders Neurodevelopmental disorders Synaptic plasticity
12.1
Introduction
Epigenetics, a cellular mechanism once considered to be stable after development,
has now been found to be a dynamic process that occurs in fully differentiated,
postmitotic cells of the central nervous system in response to environmental signals
(Borrelli et al. 2008; Graff and Mansuy 2008; Feinberg 2007). Epigenetic mechanisms regulate the structure of the chromatin through posttranslational modifications
V. Labrie
Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St,
Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
e-mail: Viviane_Labrie@camh.net
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of histone proteins and covalent DNA modifications. Alterations in chromatin
structure changes the accessibility of DNA to regulatory proteins, resulting in
changes in gene transcription. Changes in gene expression and subsequent protein
synthesis affect synaptic function and morphology, which is essential for many
cognitive processes, including learning and memory (Costa-Mattioli et al. 2009;
Loebrich and Nedivi 2009). In this manner, epigenetic mechanisms act as a means
of translating external stimuli into modifications of gene expression and neural
activity that affect cognitive function and behavioral outcome.
One of the most extensively studied cognitive processes is memory formation.
Recent studies have demonstrated that chromatin modifications, especially histone
acetylation, are involved in synaptic plasticity and memory formation (Fischer et al.
2007; Levenson et al. 2004; Korzus et al. 2004; Guan et al. 2002). In general,
histone acetylation is associated with transcriptional activation and is regulated by
the balance between histone acetyltransferases (HAT) and histone deacetylases
(HDAC). Increased histone acetylation has been shown to facilitate learning behaviors (Guan et al. 2009; Fischer et al. 2007; Levenson et al. 2004). This has led a
number of researchers to investigate the potential of HDAC inhibitors to improve
memory, particularly in diseases characterized by cognitive impairments. Nonselective HDAC inhibitors have demonstrated ameliorative effects in preclinical
models relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Rubinstein–Taybi
syndrome, and other cognitive disorders (Fischer et al. 2007; Kilgore et al. 2010;
Ferrante et al. 2003; Alarcón et al. 2004; Korzus et al. 2004). HDAC inhibitors have
also been found to augment extinction, a learned adaptive response capable of
benefiting treatments for persistent maladaptive behaviors observed in many psychiatric illnesses and drug addiction (Lattal et al. 2007; Bredy and Barad 2008).
These promising therapeutic effects have stimulated considerable interest in determining the HDAC isoforms, gene targets, and molecular pathways involved
in mediating cognitive improvement. Consequently, the development and analysis
of HDAC inhibitors is a rapidly expanding field. This chapter reviews recent
insights about the contributions of chromatin acetylation to physiological and
pathological cognitive functioning, and the application of HDAC inhibitors for the
treatment of neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric disorders.
12.2
Histone Modifications
Histone proteins are components of the chromatin architecture that function to
compress genomic DNA within the nucleus and are intimately involved in regulating gene expression by controlling access and signaling to the transcriptional
machinery (for review, see Kouzarides 2007; Berger 2007). Complexes of DNA
and histones form the nucleosome, the basic unit of the chromatin, in which 146
base pairs of DNA is wrapped around an octamer of core histone proteins: H2A,
H2B, H3, and H4. Histones are small, conserved, and highly basic proteins composed of a globular domain and an amino-terminal tail that protrudes from the
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surface of the nucleosome. Histone tails are the site of numerous posttranslation
modifications, including acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, sumoylation,
ubiquitination, and ADP-ribosylation. Patterns of histone modifications have been
proposed to encode information, since these modifications affect chromatin structure and correspond to differing degrees of transcriptional activation or repression.
These patterns are often referred to as the “histone code” (Strahl and Allis 2000)
and can be altered in response to external stimuli (Borrelli et al. 2008; Graff and
Mansuy 2008).
Acetylation of histones has been correlated with active gene expression (for
review, see MacDonald and Howe 2009; Choi and Howe 2009). Histone acetylation
occurs at lysine residues on histone tails and neutralizes existing positive charges,
which weaken the histone–DNA interaction. This relaxes the chromatin structure
and allows transcription factors to interact with their target DNA. The steady-state
levels of histone acetylation are determined by the balance between the activity of
HATs and HDACs. HAT enzymes catalyze the addition of acetyl groups to lysine
residues within histones, thereby facilitating gene transcription. Removal of acetyl
groups is the responsibility of HDACs. Elevated HDAC activity shifts the chromatin to a more condensed conformation, repressing gene expression. Interestingly,
recent gene-array findings suggest that the effect of HDAC activity on gene
expression is not global. Less than 20% of genes demonstrate an altered expression
level in response to HDAC inhibition in vitro (Li and Li 2006; Iacomino et al. 2001;
Tabuchi et al. 2006; Glaser et al. 2003; Chiba et al. 2004) and in vivo (Shafaati et al.
2009; Bosetti et al. 2005; Covington et al. 2009).
The superfamily of HDACs is divided into four main classes: I, II, III, and IV
(for review, see Kazantsev and Thompson 2008; Carey and La Thangue 2006).
Class I and II are the most well studied in the nervous system and contain Zn2+dependent active sites. Class I HDACs consist of HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3,
which are ubiquitously expressed and HDAC8, which is primarily restricted to
smooth muscle cells. Class I HDACs are predominately localized in the nucleus.
Class II HDACs are further divided into two subgroups: class IIa (HDAC4,
HDAC5, HDAC7, and HDAC9) and class IIb (HDAC6 and HDAC10). Class II
enzymes share considerable structural and sequence homology, and can shuttle
between the cytoplasm and nucleus. Class III HDACs, known as the sirtuins
(SIRT1–7), require nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) for their enzymatic
activity. Class IV is represented by a single member, HDAC11, which is principally
located in the nucleus of cells.
With the exception of HDAC8, all HDAC isoforms exist in large multisubunit
complexes and associate with other proteins or HDACs for optimal enzymatic
activity (Balasubramanian et al. 2009). For example, HDAC4, HDAC5, and
HDAC7 are unable to deacetylate histones in isolation and require interaction
with HDAC3 to be active (Fischle et al. 2002). Also, in the cell, HDAC3 is
complexed with NCOR/SMRT, which improves HDAC3 deacetylation activity
(Guenther et al. 2001). HDAC1 and HDAC2 are associated with mSin3, NuRD,
and CoREST in the cell, forming complexes that are recruited to gene promoters
by DNA binding proteins, which may contribute to gene-specific transcriptional
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regulation (Laherty et al. 1997; Zhang et al. 1999; Wen et al. 2000). Thus, the
diversity of isoforms, multiprotein complexes, and cofactors makes development of
selective HDAC inhibitors a formidable challenge.
12.3
HDAC Inhibitors
The development of new HDAC inhibitors is currently undergoing a period of
sudden growth in the pharmaceutical industry due to the potential application of
these compounds as anticancer therapies and the emerging possibility that HDAC
inhibitors may be useful in treating neurological and psychiatric illnesses. HDAC
inhibitors can be classified into four major categories based on chemical structure
(1) the short-chain fatty acids, such as sodium butyrate, valproate, and phenylbutyrate; (2) the hyroxamic acids, such as trichostatin A (TSA) and suberoylanilide
hydroxamic acid (SAHA); (3) the benzamides, such as MS-275, 4b, and 106; and
(4) the cyclic peptides, including apicidin and depsipeptide (Thomas 2009; Ma
et al. 2009). In cancer, HDAC inhibitors can suppress tumor cell proliferation,
induce cell differentiation, and upregulate crucial genes associated with anticancer
effects (Carey and La Thangue 2006; Carew et al. 2008). As a consequence, various
HDAC inhibitors have entered phase I and II clinical trials for cancer treatment, and
have so far demonstrated promising antitumor activity for several types of cancers
(Ma et al. 2009). However, the goal of reversing or impeding pathophysiological
processes in disorders of the central nervous system is fundamentally different than
the objectives of anticancer therapies. Harnessing the therapeutic potential of
HDAC inhibitors for neurological and psychiatric disorders requires stable and
bioavailable compounds capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier to reach
diseased brain tissues. Some of the most commonly investigated HDAC inhibitors
in the central nervous system include sodium butyrate, valproate, phenylbutyrate,
TSA, and SAHA. These compounds are predominately broad-spectrum inhibitors,
targeting many HDAC isoforms in both class I and II. Valproate affects only class I
HDAC isoforms, however, valproate is also known to have many additional targets,
and so the contribution of HDAC inhibition to the therapeutic effects of this drug is
unclear. Certain HDAC inhibitors, such as SAHA and sodium butyrate display
greater potencies in inhibiting class I HDACs than class II enzymes (Kilgore et al.
2010). Indeed, SAHA displays a high affinity for class I HDACs, with effective
concentrations in the low nanomolar range (Kilgore et al. 2010; Khan et al. 2008).
The design of class- and isoform-specific HDAC inhibitors has been highly
difficult due to the evolutionarily conserved architecture of HDAC active sites.
However, attempts to improve selectivity by exploiting subtle differences in active
site components, including the capping group, linker region, and metal-binding
domains, have had some success (Bieliauskas and Pflum 2008). Selective compounds targeting exclusively HDAC1 or HDAC8 in the class I category and HDAC4
or HDAC6 in the class II category have been developed (Perez-Balado et al. 2007;
Kozikowski et al. 2008; Krennhrubec et al. 2007; Bieliauskas and Pflum 2008).
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Certain compounds are specific for a limited number of HDAC isoforms, such as
SHI-1:2 inhibitors, which demonstrate an intrinsic activity against HDAC1 and
HDAC2 that is at least a 100-fold greater than for other HDACs (Methot et al.
2008). Furthermore, a family of pimelic diphenylamide HDAC inhibitors demonstrating class I specificity with no class II activity have been created (Chou et al.
2008). These compounds also show a more than 15-fold selectivity for HDAC3 in
comparison with HDAC1 and HDAC2 (Chou et al. 2008). Other compounds
selective for class I or class II HDAC enzymes have been generated (Hamblett
et al. 2007; Jones et al. 2008; Ontoria et al. 2009; Bieliauskas and Pflum 2008). As
these compounds have just emerged, reports on their effects in the central nervous
system are very limited. However, these compounds will be important in determining the roles of individual HDACs in physiological and disease processes in the
brain. In addition, isoform- and class-selective HDAC inhibitors may more effectively targeting the pathophysiological disturbances involved in cognitive disorders.
An important caveat in interpreting all studies using HDAC inhibitors is that
modifications of the epigenetic histone code may not be the exclusive or even
primary mechanism underlying the effects of HDAC inhibitors. It is becoming
increasingly apparent that HDAC enzymes not only target histones, but also
regulate the acetylation of a variety of nonhistone proteins (Glozak et al. 2005;
Lin et al. 2006; Carey and La Thangue 2006). This includes transcription factors,
signal transduction mediators, cytoskeletal proteins, and several metabolic enzymes
(Glozak et al. 2005; Lin et al. 2006; Carey and La Thangue 2006). Although
histones are the most thoroughly studied substrate of HDACs, lysine residues on
many nonhistone proteins are deacetylated by HDACs. Consequently, HDAC
enzymes are more accurately considered as “lysine deacetylases”. Changes in the
acetylation of nonhistone proteins can potentially influence stability, localization,
protein dimerization, and binding activity of these proteins and may be an additional method by which HDACs mediate transcriptional regulation (Caron et al.
2005; Levy et al. 2004; Gronroos et al. 2002; Wang et al. 2001). Therefore, the
behavioral effects of HDAC inhibitors may be due to alterations in the acetylation
of a diverse number of intracellular targets.
Another key point concerning the effects of HDAC inhibition is that patterns of
histone acetylation are intricately linked to other epigenetic modifications. Indeed,
extensive cross-talk occurs between different histone modifications and DNA
methylation (Kouzarides 2007; Latham and Dent 2007). This involves multiple
feed-forward and feed-back mechanisms within- and between-nucleosomes, allowing epigenetic modifications to act in concert (Kouzarides 2007; Latham and Dent
2007). For example, methylated DNA, a genomic sequence with a transcriptionally
repressive epigenetic mark, can recruit methyl-binding proteins (MBDs), such as
methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) (Meehan et al. 1992; Hendrich and Bird
1998). MBDs associate with histone methyltransferases (HMTs) and HDACs that
methylate and deacetylate histones, respectively, further silencing gene expression
(Jones et al. 1998; Fuks et al. 2003). In addition, class I HDAC inhibitors valproate
and MS-275 have been found to induce histone acetylation and lower DNA methylation in the frontal cortex of mice with hypermethylated DNA (Dong et al. 2007).
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Similarly, the pan-HDAC inhibitor TSA has been shown to induce global and genespecific DNA demethylation in human cancer cells (Ou et al. 2007). Thus, histone
acetylation is unlikely to be the only epigenetic modification altered by HDAC
inhibitors. Also, due to the complexity of the interactions, classification of epigenetic mechanisms as gene activating or suppressing is likely an oversimplification.
12.4
Regulation of Histone Acetylation in Learning
and Memory
Histone acetylation has been implicated in many complex behaviors, particularly
learning and memory. Memory is described as an array of processes employed by
the brain for the long-term storage of information. The formation of long-term
memories entails lasting changes in gene expression. Indeed, studies have demonstrated that the establishment of long-term memories requires the engagement of
many signal pathways, changes in gene transcription, and de novo protein synthesis
(Costa-Mattioli et al. 2009; Loebrich and Nedivi 2009).
Memory formation has been found to induce increases in histone acetylation in
the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a brain region of particular importance to the
formation and retrieval of memories (Kim and Fanselow 1992; Szapiro et al. 2002).
In rodents, learning and memory can be investigated using a number of wellestablished hippocampus-dependent tests, including spatial mazes, contextual fear
conditioning, and novel object recognition. In contextual fear conditioning, animals
learn to associate a novel context with an aversive stimulus, and a single training
session is sufficient to induce the formation of long-term memories. Animals
exposed to a contextual fear conditioning paradigm demonstrated a significant
increase in histone acetylation (Levenson et al. 2004). The increase in acetylation
was transient and found at 1 h, but not 24 h after training, and only in histone H3,
but not H4 (Levenson et al. 2004). The solely transient and H3-specific change in
acetylation observed may be the result of using pan-specific antibodies that probe
multiple acetylation sites. However, the finding that memory consolidation correlates with increased histone acetylation has been reproduced in a number of other
learning paradigms using rodents (Fischer et al. 2007; Vecsey et al. 2007; FontanLozano et al. 2008; Levenson et al. 2004) and invertebrates (Federman et al. 2009).
Interestingly, transient elevations in histone acetylation associated with memory
formation were found to be mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptordependent synaptic transmission and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)
signaling cascade (Levenson et al. 2004). NMDA receptor activation and MAPK
signaling are cellular processes critically involved in the formation of long-term
memories in the hippocampus (Atkins et al. 1998).
Consistent with the idea that histone acetylation has a functional role in learning
and memory, mice with a disruption in HAT activity display memory impairments.
CREB-binding protein (CBP) is an enzyme involved in recruiting other components of the transcriptional machinery and contains endogenous HAT activity
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(Bannister and Kouzarides 1996). Several genetically-modified mice with impaired
CBP function have been developed (Alarcón et al. 2004; Wood et al. 2005, 2006;
Oike et al. 1999). These models consistently demonstrate that abnormal CBP
function leads to deficits in a number of memory tests, including novel object
recognition, spatial memory, and contextual and cued fear conditioning (Alarcón
et al. 2004; Wood et al. 2005, 2006; Oike et al. 1999). However, it is possible that
memory abnormalities in CBP transgenic animals are not only the result of altered
HAT activity, since CBP interacts with multiple transcriptional regulators
(Janknecht 2002). To address this, mice expressing a CBP transgene with an
inactivated HAT domain (CBPHAT) were generated (Korzus et al. 2004). Expression
of CBPHAT was spatially restricted to forebrain neurons and temporally restricted
using the tetracycline system, thereby avoiding potential developmental abnormalities. CBPHAT expression in adult mice decreased histone acetylation and produced
impairments in spatial and recognition memory that could be normalized by transgene suppression. In support of these findings, studies examining other HAT
enzymes, E1A-binding protein (p300), and p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF)
have also shown a role for these HATs in memory processes (Oliveira et al. 2007;
Maurice et al. 2008). Transgenic mice expressing an inhibitory truncated version of
p300 that lacks HAT activity were demonstrated to have deficits in long-term
recognition and contextual fear memory (Oliveira et al. 2007). These studies
indicate that HAT activity contributes to memory formation, and the role of HAT
in learning and memory may be mediated through histone acetylation. However,
like HDACs, HATs are also known to target several nonhistone proteins. HATinduced acetylation of transcription factors, such as p53, GATA-1, and Myo-D, has
been shown to alter their DNA binding affinity and enhance transcription (Boyes
et al. 1998; Gu and Roeder 1997; Polesskaya et al. 2000).
Histone acetylation may also facilitate synaptic plasticity. Synaptic plasticity
refers to the ability of synapses to undergo activity-dependent changes in strength.
At a cellular level, memory formation is dependent on synaptic plasticity (Bliss and
Collingridge 1993; Costa-Mattioli et al. 2009). In Aplysia, histone acetylation was
found to be differentially regulated by opposing forms of synaptic plasticity (Guan
et al. 2002). The sensorimotor synapse of Aplysia demonstrates two major forms of
long-term synaptic plasticity: long-term facilitation (LTF), which is a lasting
enhancement in synaptic transmission, and long-term depression (LTD), which is
a persistent decrease in synaptic transmission. LTF was accompanied by an increase
in binding of the HAT CBP to the CAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) gene
promoter with a concurrent increase in histone H3 and H4 acetylation at the same
promoter (Guan et al. 2002). In contrast, LTD led to a decrease in histone acetylation
at the C/EBP promoter that was mediated at least in part by HDAC5 (Guan et al.
2002). Changes in histone acetylation have also been observed during the induction
of synaptic plasticity in mammalian systems. Long-term potentiation (LTP) reflects
an increase in synaptic transmission in response to high-frequency stimulation. LTP
requires the activation of NMDA receptors and engages the MAPK signaling
cascade (Kauer et al. 1988; Kelleher et al. 2004). Activation of NMDA receptors
in the hippocampus was shown to increase histone H3 acetylation and this effect was
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blocked by inhibition of MAPK signaling (Levenson et al. 2004). MAPK activation
in the hippocampus also augmented histone H3 acetylation (Levenson et al. 2004).
The MAPK signaling pathway may promote histone acetylation through CBP HAT
activity, as the MAPK cascade is known to lead to the phosphorylation and activation of CREB, which recruits CBP for subsequent transcriptional activation (Impey
et al. 2002). Genetically-manipulated mice with deficient CBP function demonstrate
impaired synaptic plasticity in the late-phase of LTP (L-LTP), which is known to
require gene transcription (Alarcón et al. 2004). Administration of the HDAC
inhibitor SAHA to hippocampal slices of CBP-deficient mice significantly
improved L-LTP (Alarcón et al. 2004). Therefore, these studies indicate that histone
acetylation may be involved in the synaptoplastic processes underlying memory
formation.
12.5
Modulation of Learning and Memory by HDAC Inhibitors
Since memory formation is associated with an increase in histone acetylation and can
be disrupted by reduced HAT activity, it may follow that compounds that increase
histone acetylation effectively enhance memory formation. To test this directly, a
number of studies have investigated the effects of HDAC inhibitors on long-term
memory formation in normal animals. Systemic administration of an HDAC inhibitor,
such as TSA, sodium butyrate, valproate, or SAHA, improved long-term memory
in tests of contextual fear conditioning (Levenson et al. 2004; Fischer et al. 2007;
Guan et al. 2009; Bredy and Barad 2008), cued fear conditioning (Bredy and Barad
2008), spatial learning in a water maze (Fischer et al. 2007), eyeblink conditioning
(Fontan-Lozano et al. 2008), and object recognition (Fontan-Lozano et al. 2008) in
normal rodents. Direct infusion of TSA into the hippocampus or amygdala has also
been found to enhance fear-associated memories (Vecsey et al. 2007; Yeh et al. 2004).
Some studies did not observe a memory improvement in wild-type animals following
HDAC inhibitor administration in certain behavioral tasks (Kilgore et al. 2010;
Vecsey et al. 2007). However, the degree of memory enhancement observed is likely
determined by the properties of the HDAC inhibitor investigated (for example, the
binding affinity and HDAC isotype selectivity) and by the dosing strategy, learning
procedure, genetic background, and age of the animals employed.
Supporting the facilitatory effects of HDAC inhibitors on memory formation,
these compounds have been demonstrated to augment synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis. In the normal rodent hippocampus, induction of LTP was significantly
enhanced by HDAC inhibition, using TSA, sodium butyrate, or SAHA (Levenson
et al. 2004; Alarcón et al. 2004). In addition, LTP induced in the amygdala was
increased by TSA (Yeh et al. 2004). Recently, chronic administration of SAHA in
wild-type mice was found to enhance dendritic spine density and synapse numbers
(Guan et al. 2009), which are cellular processes known to contribute to synaptic
plasticity and memory formation (Yang et al. 2009; Bourne and Harris 2010).
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HDAC inhibitors have also been shown to transform a learning event that would
not normally result in long-term memory into an event that is remembered longterm. Mice exposed to a novel object for a short period of time will not remember
this object after 24 h (Stefanko et al. 2009; Fontan-Lozano et al. 2008). However,
mice treated with an HDAC inhibitor such as sodium butyrate or TSA displayed a
lasting memory for the object that persisted after 24 h and 7 days (Stefanko et al.
2009; Fontan-Lozano et al. 2008). Similarly, in invertebrates, a weak training
protocol that is insufficient to establish lasting memories was shown to potentiate
long-term memory in animals treated with sodium butyrate or TSA (Federman
et al. 2009). Administration of TSA to sensorimotor neurons of Aplysia resulted in
a switch from short- to long-term facilitation of synaptic transmission (Guan
et al. 2002). In mouse hippocampal slices, early-LTP (E-LTP), which does not
require transcription or translation, was transformed into a transcription-dependent
long-lasting form of LTP (Vecsey et al. 2007). Furthermore, HDAC inhibition
decreased the threshold for learning-induced changes in histone acetylation and
expression of memory-associated genes. Mice treated with sodium butyrate or TSA
displayed a greater increase in histone H3 acetylation in the hippocampus
and perirhinal cortex after exposure to an object recognition task (Fontan-Lozano
et al. 2008) and contextual fear conditioning paradigm (Vecsey et al. 2007). In
addition, HDAC inhibitors increased the expression of genes specifically associated
with learning and memory following a learning task (Fontan-Lozano et al. 2008;
Vecsey et al. 2007). This is consistent with studies demonstrating that HDAC
inhibitors do not act globally, but can regulate a smaller subset of genes in the
brain (Bosetti et al. 2005; Covington et al. 2009). Overall, these findings indicate that HDAC inhibitors can generate long-term memories under conditions that
are typically insufficient to induce lasting memories, and that these facilitatory
effects may be mediated by changes in histone acetylation and transcription of
genes involved in memory formation.
Recently, HDAC inhibitors have been demonstrated to improve the extinction
of memories. Extinction is regarded as a distinct form of learning that acts to
suppress, but not erase, previously established memories (Davis et al. 2006). Like
other forms of learning, extinction has been shown to depend on an intricate
regulatory network of signaling cascades, gene transcription, and protein synthesis
(Davis et al. 2006). Extinction of conditioned fear has been associated with
changes in histone acetylation (Bredy et al. 2007). Following extinction, the
promoter region of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a gene implicated
in memory and synaptic plasticity, was found to have altered histone H3 and H4
acetylation in the prefrontal cortex of mice (Bredy et al. 2007). Moreover,
systemic or intrahippocampal administration of sodium butyrate, TSA, or valproate in normal mice was found to enhance the extinction of contextual and cued
fear (Lattal et al. 2007; Bredy and Barad 2008). Valproate was shown to improve
the effects of a weak extinction protocol and induced similar changes in histone
H4 acetylation in the BDNF promoter region as a strong extinction protocol
(Bredy et al. 2007). Thus, in addition to having therapeutic potential for diseases
involving impaired memory, these results suggest that HDAC inhibitors may be
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useful in treating diseases characterized by persistent maladaptive memories, such
as posttraumatic stress disorder and drug addiction.
12.6
HDAC Inhibitors as a Potential Treatment for Cognitive
Disorders
Since HDAC inhibitors benefit memory processes in normal mice, several studies
have investigated the potential of these compounds in ameliorating cognitive
symptoms in disease models. Cognitive dysfunction is a central component of
many neurological and psychiatric illnesses, and often includes disturbances in
learning and memory. Consequently, the capacity of HDAC inhibitors to improve
learning and memory has been examined in several animal models of cognitive
impairment, including models of neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental
disorders, and drug addiction.
12.6.1 Neurodegenerative Diseases: Recovering Lost Memories
Marked neuronal atrophy accompanied by a progressive decline in memory is a
prominent characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (Heese and Akatsu 2006). Several mouse models with extensive neurodegeneration have been developed and recent studies have begun to explore the potential
of HDAC inhibitors to improve memory formation in these models (Eriksen and
Janus 2007). In CK-p25 transgenic mice, postnatal induction of p25, a protein
implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases, specifically in the forebrain
resulted in cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) hyperactivation (Fischer et al. 2005).
This led to deficits in spatial and associative fear memory, along with severe
synaptic and neuronal loss in forebrain structures such as the hippocampus (Fischer
et al. 2005). Chronic administration of the HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate prior to
a learning task was shown to effectively enhance associative and spatial memory,
and also increased synaptic connectivity (Fischer et al. 2007). Furthermore, the
possibility that HDAC inhibitors may reestablish access to memories that had
become lost or inaccessible as a result of neurodegenerative processes was also
investigated using the CK-p25 transgenic mice (Fischer et al. 2007). Mice were
initially trained in fear conditioning and spatial learning procedures. Following a
rest period to allow long-term memory consolidation, induction of p25 was initiated,
causing brain atrophy and neuronal loss. After p25 induction, animals were given
chronic injections of sodium butyrate or vehicle, and then fear-associated and
spatial memories were assessed. Remarkably, chronic HDAC inhibitor administration led to the recovery of memories that would otherwise be inaccessible. Thus,
HDAC inhibitors were found to improve memory formation and restored the
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capacity for memory recall in a mouse model of neurodegeneration. Interestingly,
the permissive effects of HDAC inhibitors on memory in CK-p25 transgenic mice
were mimicked by environmental enrichment (Fischer et al. 2007). Environmental
enrichment, a combination of exercise and cognitive training, is a well known
but poorly understood means of enhancing memory in rodents and humans. It
has been reported to delay the onset and development of memory deficits
and neuropathologies associated with Alzheimer’s disease (Berardi et al. 2007;
Lazarov et al. 2005; Jankowsky et al. 2005). CK-p25 mice subjected to environmental enrichment demonstrated a similar increase in histone acetylation and in memory
formation and retrieval as mice treated with an HDAC inhibitor (Fischer et al. 2007).
This suggests that environmental enrichment and HDAC inhibitors may facilitate
memories through a similar mechanism that could involve histone acetylation.
HDAC inhibitors have been tested in other mouse models relevant to
Alzheimer’s disease. The accumulation of neurotoxic amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain are neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s
disease. Genetic mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin-1
(PS1) have been implicated in plaque formation in early-onset cases of Alzheimer’s
disease (Selkoe 2001). Overexpression of human APP and PS1 mutations in mice
induced amyloidosis and prominent cognitive deficits (Jankowsky et al. 2004;
Savonenko et al. 2005). HDAC inhibitors, including valproate, sodium butyrate,
and SAHA, were shown to reverse impairments in contextual fear memory in mice
expressing mutant APP and PS1 transgenes (Kilgore et al. 2010). In addition,
treatment with an HDAC inhibitor allowed the newly formed memories to remain
stable, as the memories continued to be present after 2 weeks (Kilgore et al. 2010).
Nicotinamide, a competitive inhibitor of class III HDACs, was also found to
prevent impairments in spatial memory, object recognition, and fear conditioning
in genetically-modified mice that develop both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary
tangles (Green et al. 2008). In these mice, nicotinamide reduced intracellular
aggregates of a specific phospho-species of tau associated with microtubule depolymerization and neurofibrillary tangles (Green et al. 2008). Finally, in mice treated
with kainic acid, a neurotoxic agent that induces hippocampal neurodegeneration
and cognitive impairments, HDAC inhibitors sodium butyrate and TSA were
found to restore short- and long-term memory in an object recognition task
(Fontan-Lozano et al. 2008). Thus, these animal models indicate that HDAC
inhibitors may be suitable for treating cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.
However, the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease are far more complex
than those reproduced in these animal models, and evidence has argued that Alzheimer’s disease is associated with an increase and decrease in histone acetylation (Cao
and Sudhof 2001; Marambaud et al. 2003; Kim et al. 2004, 2007; Rouaux et al.
2003; Saura et al. 2004). Conceivably, both types of changes in histone acetylation
co-occur in Alzheimer’s disease, and vary depending on brain structure, cell type,
and genomic region. Consequently, it remains to be determined whether HDAC
inhibitors will indeed provide therapeutic benefits to Alzheimer’s patients.
Alterations in histone acetylation have also been implicated in Huntington’s
disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive impairments,
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mood disturbances, and motor deficits (Sadri-Vakili and Cha 2006). HD is caused
by a CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the huntingtin gene, producing
mutant huntingtin protein with a lengthened polyglutamine tract (Sadri-Vakili and
Cha 2006). The polyglutamine extension was found to directly bind and inhibit the
activity of the HAT domain of CBP and PCAF (Steffan et al. 2001). This inhibitory
interaction was demonstrated to lead to a reduction in histone H3 and H4 acetylation
in cultured Drosophila cells that was reversed by administration of sodium butyrate,
TSA, or SAHA (Steffan et al. 2001). In mouse models of HD, treatment with HDAC
inhibitors, such as phenylbutyrate, sodium butyrate, 4b, and SAHA, have been
shown to attenuate neuronal atrophy, increase motor function, and extend survival
(Ferrante et al. 2003; Hockly et al. 2003; Thomas et al. 2008; Gardian et al. 2005).
This was accompanied by an increase in the acetylation of histones and nonhistone
proteins associated with neurotoxicity and HD pathology (Ferrante et al. 2003;
Hockly et al. 2003; Gardian et al. 2005; Sadri-Vakili et al. 2007; Dompierre et al.
2007). The effects of HDAC inhibitors on cognitive performance in animal models
of HD have not been reported, likely due to the confounding effects of motor deficits
in these models. However, clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety of the
HDAC inhibitor phenylbutyrate as a treatment for HD have been initiated (study ID:
R01NS45242), and will shed light on the capacity of these compounds to improve
the cognitive symptoms of HD.
12.6.2 Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) is a rare developmental disease that is characterized by mental retardation and skeletal abnormalities (Hallam and Bourtchouladze 2006). RTS is caused by mutations in the gene encoding CBP (Petrij et al.
1995; Blough et al. 2000). Recent evidence indicates that RTS symptoms are also
caused by mutations in the gene encoding p300 (Roelfsema et al. 2005; Bartholdi
et al. 2007). As mentioned earlier, CBP and p300 have HAT activity and function
as transcriptional coactivators that recruit other components of the transcriptional
machinery. Mouse models with deficient CBP or p300 display cognitive and
physiological deficits associated with RTS (Alarcón et al. 2004; Korzus et al.
2004; Wood et al. 2005; Oliveira et al. 2007). Memory impairments induced by a
CBP deficiency were demonstrated to be reversed by systemic or intraventricular
injections of the HDAC inhibitors TSA and SAHA (Alarcón et al. 2004; Korzus
et al. 2004). In addition, HDAC inhibition ameliorated synaptic plasticity in CBPdeficient mice, as SAHA reversed impaired L-LTP (Alarcón et al. 2004). At the
molecular level, reduced HAT activity and histone acetylation in CBP transgenic
mice was increased by HDAC inhibitors (Alarcón et al. 2004; Korzus et al. 2004).
Thus, HDAC inhibitors constitute a promising therapeutic approach for the
cognitive features of RTS.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a common heritable disease in which patients
exhibit a wide range of neurological disturbances, including cognitive deficits,
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autism, seizures, peripheral neuropathy, and abnormal autonomic function (Garber
et al. 2008). FXS is caused by an expanded repeat of CGG trinucleotides at the 50
end of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene (Verkerk et al. 1991; Pieretti
et al. 1991). The trinucleotide expansions cause an increase in DNA methylation
at the FMR1 gene promoter, reducing the translational of the fragile X mental
retardation protein (FMRP) (Pieretti et al. 1991; Godler et al. 2010). FMRP is a
selective RNA-binding protein that regulates mRNA transport to neuronal dendrites
and local translation, affecting synaptic plasticity and neuronal maturation (Weiler
et al. 1997). Treatment of lymphoblastoid cells from FXS patients with demethylating agents such as 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine reactivated FMR1 gene expression and
restored normal levels of FMR1 mRNA and protein (Chiurazzi et al. 1998).
Administration of the HDAC inhibitors 4-phenylbutyrate, sodium butyrate, or
TSA in combination with 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine was far more effective, indicating
a synergistic effect between histone hyperacetylation and DNA demethylation
(Chiurazzi et al. 1998). Accordingly, subsequent studies demonstrated that DNA
methylation is tightly coupled to histone acetylation and histone methylation at the
FMR1 gene (Coffee et al. 2002; Tabolacci et al. 2008). Recently, inhibitors of class
III HDACs, nicotinamide and splitomicin, were shown to induce FMR1 gene
reactivation and the acetylation of histones at the 50 end of the FMR1 gene in
cells derived from FXS patients (Biacsi et al. 2008). These findings support the need
for further investigation about the ability of HDAC inhibitors to improve the
symptoms of FXS.
12.6.3 Drug Addiction
Exposure therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy and is
commonly used to treat anxiety syndromes and substance abuse (Hofmann 2007;
Marlatt 1990). Exposure therapy is based on the concept of extinction. For drug
addictions, treatment involves prolonged and repeated exposures to drug-associated
environmental cues without access to the substance of abuse. Consequently, this
form of treatment allows patients to diminish conditioned responses elicited by the
drug-associated cues (Heather and Bradley 1990; O’Brien et al. 1990). Recent
evidence indicates that pharmacotherapies capable of enhancing extinction in
rodents have the potential to improve the effectiveness of exposure therapy in
humans (Davis et al. 2006; Norberg et al. 2008).
Drug-seeking behaviors in mice can be measured using the conditioned
place paradigm (CPP). In this task, animals learn to pair the effects of an addictive substance with a distinct environment. Extinction is induced by repetitive
exposures to the drug-associated context without reinforcement. Extinction of
cocaine-seeking behaviors measured in the CPP was enhanced by treatments with
the HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate (Malvaez et al. 2009). Reinstatement of
drug-seeking behaviors after the extinction sessions can be induced by administering a drug prime. Sodium butyrate was found to significantly attenuate the
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reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviors (Malvaez et al. 2009). Thus, HDAC
inhibition enhanced the rate of extinction and its persistence, suggesting that
HDAC inhibitors may facilitate the effects of exposure therapy for substance
abuse disorders in the clinic.
12.7
Mechanisms by Which HDAC Inhibitors Facilitate
Cognitive Function
One of the major open questions that arise from studies investigating the therapeutic
utility of HDAC inhibitors is: What are the mechanisms by which HDAC inhibitors
enhance cognitive function and synaptic plasticity? To address this question, Guan
et al. (2009) recently performed a series of experiments investigating the HDAC
family members specifically involved in memory formation. Initially, SAHA, an
HDAC inhibitor that primarily targets class I HDACs (HDAC1, HDAC2, and
HDAC3 in the brain) and HDAC6, was confirmed to enhance memory formation
in normal mice. The possibility that SAHA induces memory improvements by
reducing HDAC6 activity was eliminated by demonstrating that a selective HDAC6
inhibitor, WT-161, did not increase memory in normal mice. The contributions of
HDAC1 and HDAC2 to memory formation were investigated using genetic knockout or overexpression mouse models. HDAC2 overexpression was found to
decrease dendritic spine density, synapse number, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, elevated HDAC2 levels attenuated memory formation in behavioral measures
of contextual and cued fear conditioning, spatial long-term memory, and spatial
working memory. In contrast, overexpression of HDAC1 did not alter memory or
synaptic function. Genetic inactivation of HDAC2 was found to increase synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, context- and tone-associated memories, and spatial
working memory. If HDAC inhibitors induce memory enhancements via HDAC2,
then it would be expected that HDAC inhibition would readily reverse the learning
impairments in mice overexpressing HDAC2, but have no effect in mice lacking
HDAC2 activity. Indeed, SAHA enhanced associative fear memories and
completely abrogated the decrease in spine density and synapse abnormalities in
HDAC2-overexpressing mice. Conversely, SAHA did not affect associative fear
memory, spine density, synapse numbers, or synaptic plasticity in HDAC2 knockout
animals. This suggests that HDAC2 is the major target of SAHA in facilitating
memory formation. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these effects
are reproduced using other HDAC inhibitors. Importantly, mice lacking HDAC2 did
not display gross changes in neuronal morphology or behavioral deficits, indicating
that HDAC2 may be safely targeted without causing obvious disruptions in neuronal
physiology and brain function. Thus, selective HDAC2 inhibitors may be a suitable
treatment for cognitive disorders.
HDAC2 has been proposed to mediate changes in memory formation and synaptic
function by binding to the regulatory element of memory-associated genes and
suppressing their expression (Guan et al. 2009). HDAC2 was found to be enriched
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at the promoter regions of BDNF, CBP, cAMP responsive element binding protein
1 (Creb1), early growth response factor 1 (Egr1), FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene
(Fos), neuritin 1 (Nrn1), neurexin 3 (Nrxn3), and NMDA receptor subunits (Guan
et al. 2009). All these genes are implicated in synaptic plasticity and remodeling or
regulated by neuronal activity (Loebrich and Nedivi 2009). In addition, HDAC1
was demonstrated to be more enriched at the promoter region of activity regulated
cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc), a gene associated with learning and memory
processes (Guan et al. 2009). This indicates that although HDAC2 appears to be the
principal isoform negatively regulating memory formation, HDAC1 may also provide important contributions. Interestingly, S-nitrosylation of HDAC2 has been
found to release HDAC2 from the promoter of Egr1, a memory-associated gene
(Nott et al. 2008). S-nitrosylation is induced by nitric oxide, a free radical molecule
that can be synthesized in response to neuronal activation (Nott et al. 2008). Reduced
HDAC2 activity following S-nitrosylation or in HDAC2 knockout mice was correlated with an increase in the acetylation of histones in synaptic plasticity genes, such
as BDNF, Egr1, Fos, and the NMDA receptor subunit GLUR1 (Guan et al. 2009;
Nott et al. 2008). Accordingly, the expression of these genes was also elevated
(Guan et al. 2009; Nott et al. 2008). Thus, HDAC inhibitors may improve memory
formation by decreasing the activity of HDAC2 (and other pertinent isoforms),
resulting in an increase in histone acetylation and a subsequent elevation in the
transcription of genes involved in synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis.
HDAC inhibitors have also been reported to enhance memory formation and
synaptic plasticity through CREB- and CBP-dependent transcriptional activation
(Vecsey et al. 2007). Genetic elimination of CREB function was shown to attenuate
the enhancement in contextual fear memory and hippocampal LTP induced by the
HDAC inhibitor TSA. Transgenic mice carrying a version of CBP lacking
the CREB-binding domain were found to be resistant to the facilitatory effects of
TSA on hippocampal LTP. Furthermore, HDAC inhibitors were shown to augment
the expression of CREB-targeted genes after a contextual fear conditioning procedure. This suggests that in order for HDAC inhibitors to improve memory, simply
inducing a histone hyperacetylated state is not sufficient and activation of the
CREB and CBP transcriptional complex may also be required.
Other nonhistone targets have been implicated in the memory enhancement
elicited by HDAC inhibitors. Nuclear actor-kappa-B (NF-kB) is a transcription
factor that positively regulates the expression of genes and influences synaptic
plasticity, learning, and memory (Hoffmann et al. 2006; Romano et al. 2006).
Acetylation of the p65 subunit (RelA) of the NF-kB complex enhances its DNA
binding affinity and transcriptional activity (Chen et al. 2002). p65 acetylation
was found to be transiently increased in the rodent amygdala following associative fear learning (Yeh et al. 2004). Treatment with the HDAC inhibitors TSA or
sodium butyrate prior to the learning task was shown to significantly prolong the
expression of p65 and increase its DNA binding affinity (Yeh et al. 2004).
Eliminating p65 accessibility using a decoy kB DNA segment attenuated the
TSA-induced improvement in associative fear conditioning (Yeh et al. 2004).
Furthermore, many other transcription factors and nonhistone proteins are
260
V. Labrie
regulated by changes in acetylation, including p53, FOXO1, p300, Hsp90, and
tubulin (Glozak et al. 2005; Lin et al. 2006). Consequently, acetylation of nonhistone substrates likely contributes to the mechanism by which HDAC inhibitors
mediate memory improvements.
12.8
Conclusions and Future Directions
To date, pan-HDAC inhibitors have demonstrated a capacity to improve memory
formation in a wide diversity of models relevant to neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases (Fischer et al. 2007; Kilgore et al. 2010; Ferrante et al. 2003;
Alarcón et al. 2004; Korzus et al. 2004). HDAC inhibitors have also been shown to
facilitate the extinction of persistent and maladaptive behaviors (Lattal et al. 2007;
Bredy and Barad 2008), indicating that HDAC inhibitors may enhance the effects of
exposure therapy used to treat anxiety syndromes and addiction. HDAC inhibitors
therefore demonstrate promising effects for the treatment of many cognitive disorders
involving deficits in learning and memory. However, there remain many open questions critical to our understanding of the effects of HDAC inhibitors on complex
cognitive functions in the brain. First, determining the effects of HDAC inhibitors on
different cell types and structures of brain will be necessary to better predict the
consequences of HDAC inhibition. Indeed, evidence demonstrates that expression
patterns of many HDAC isoforms is different among brain regions (Broide et al.
2007), suggesting that the outcome of distinct HDAC inhibitors may vary depending
on the targeted isoforms. Second, we are still far from understanding the signaling
cascades and gene expression changes that are necessary and sufficient to mediate the
cognitive improvements induced by HDAC inhibitors. Third, how are HDAC inhibitors capable of exerting transcriptional control on a select subset of genes? A recent
high-resolution mass spectrometry study identified 3,600 lysine acetylation sites on
1,750 proteins and found that HDAC inhibitors only upregulated about 10% of all
acetylation sites (Choudhary et al. 2009). Moreover, understanding the relative
contributions of histone and nonhistone proteins will be central to determining the
mechanisms mediating the effects of HDAC inhibitors. Finally, knowledge of
the HDAC isoforms involved in eliciting the cognitive improvements will lead to
the development of selective HDAC-based therapies. In this regard, genetic animal
models targeting specific HDAC isoforms indicate that HDAC2 inhibitors may be
particularly useful in treating cognitive dysfunction (Guan et al. 2009). Currently, the
development of isoform- and class-selective HDAC inhibitors is undergoing a rapid
expansion. Investigations of these selective HDAC inhibitors will uncover the role of
HDAC subtypes in normal physiology and disease, and will facilitate rational drug
design based on pathophysiological insight. In addition, improving selectivity will
likely limit the number of untoward side effects in the clinical setting. Thus, selective
HDAC inhibitors represent a fundamentally novel approach for treating cognitive
disorders that may deliver symptomatic improvements with fewer adverse effects.
Acknowledgments V.L. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health (CIHR) fellowship.
12
261
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Chapter 13
Epigenetic Mechanisms of Memory
Consolidation
Marcel A. Estevez and Ted Abel
Abstract The requirement of gene transcription for memory consolidation has
been established for several decades, but not until recently has it been recognized
that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the control of gene expression that leads
to memory storage. Broadly speaking, these epigenetic mechanisms encompass
changes in chromatin structure, such as posttranslational histone modifications and
DNA methylation. Many studies have shown that histone acetylation is dynamically regulated after experience and that it acts as a permissive switch to allow gene
transcription. These studies have established a dichotomy where permissive gene
transcription results in memory enhancement and restrictive gene transcription in
memory impairment. Other studies have focused on DNA methylation, specifically
on the promoter region of genes, where it is associated with gene inactivation. Like
histone acetylation, it has been shown that DNA methylation is regulated after
experience, and can be dynamically regulated, although it is thought to be a more
stable mark than histone acetylation. The relationship between levels of DNA
methylation and memory impairment or enhancement is unclear and will require
future study. Many other chromatin modifications play a role in experience-induced
gene regulation, such as histone methylation and phosphorylation, as well as
substitution by histone variants. Ultimately, these modifications in chromatin
structure act in concert, in a potential combinatorial code, to regulate gene-specific
transcription that results in memory consolidation.
Keywords Combinatorial chromatin code DNA methylation Electroconvulsive
treatment Histone acetylation Histone methylation Histone phosphorylation Long-term memory Long-term potentiation Memory consolidation Synaptic
plasticity
M.A. Estevez and T. Abel (*)
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South University Avenue, Philadelphia,
PA 19104, USA
e-mail: mestevez@sas.upenn.edu, abele@sas.upenn.edu
267
268
M.A. Estevez and T. Abel
Unlike most science jargon, memory is a common term used in everyday life.
Nevertheless, memory is rather abstract and not uniformly defined. As scientists,
we describe it as both a behavioral adaptation and information storage, which come
as a result of experience. In terms of information storage, there are different stages
for memory that have been described: acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval.
Memory acquisition refers simply to learning, that is, the encoding of information
after an experience. Memory retrieval is the remembering of the experience,
which is where a behavioral adaptation can be measured. In between these two
temporally spaced stages lies memory consolidation. Memory consolidation is
the establishment of long-term memory, lasting days, weeks, or even years after
acquisition. Somehow the coded information is stabilized into a more persistent
state. Not all information learned is consolidated, however, as most experiences
are not committed to long-term storage. This labile information is referred to as
short-term memory, which can only be retrieved in a short span of time after
acquisition.
The study of the underlying mechanisms of memory consolidation is a daunting
task. Firstly, the code for memory is not understood. Secondly, several memory
systems have evolved to store different types of information. For instance, reflex
conditioning depends on cerebellar circuitry, conditioned emotional responses
depend on amygdalar circuitry, and cognitive or relational learning depends on
hippocampal circuitry (Rugg 1997). Furthermore, consolidation is not a single
process but a family of processes, as there is a distinction between synaptic or
cellular consolidation versus system consolidation. At the level of a synapse or cell,
consolidation occurs in a matter of minutes or hours, whereas at a system level,
consolidation occurs in the time frame of days or weeks. In the latter, it is believed
that the circuitries of the brain that encode memory are reorganized and
that the information storage is displaced from the circuitry where it was encoded,
e.g., the hippocampus, to a more permanent site of retention, e.g., the neocortex
(Dudai 2004).
Memory research has mostly focused on studying cellular correlates and
molecular components in neurons that underlie memory storage via synaptic or
cellular consolidation. Moreover, the study of memory has focused on declarative
memory – the memory of facts and places that is dependent on hippocampus and
cortex for consolidation and maintenance. One of the first steps in understanding
the molecular composition of memory came in the 1960s and 1970s when several
groups showed that protein synthesis inhibitors block formation of long-term, but
not short-term, memory consolidation in fish and rodents (e.g., Agranoff et al. 1966;
Barondes and Cohen 1967). These initial studies looked at discrimination tasks
based on reward, which are dependent on hippocampus. Although the time window
for protein synthesis inhibitor to have amnesic effects is variable (Gold 2006), these
initial studies establish that protein synthesis is needed immediately after the
learning experience.
Not surprisingly, transcription immediately after the learning experience is also
required for memory consolidation (Squire and Barondes 1970; Neale et al. 1973)
and also 3–6 h after training (Igaz et al. 2002). Seemingly paradoxically,
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Epigenetic Mechanisms of Memory Consolidation
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electroconvulsive stimulation, which causes increased transcription of immediate
early genes (Saffen et al. 1988; Morgan et al. 1987), is an amnesic treatment. So,
whereas long-term changes in synaptic plasticity and memory require transcription and translation of these early gene products, indiscriminate, mass neuronal
transcriptional activation impedes memory formation. This suggests that some
level of specificity of neuronal activity and consequent gene regulation is
required for memory, while mass neuronal activity masks the storage of memory.
Many of these early genes that are induced during learning or mass neuronal
stimulation are transcription factors, which are then able to initiate another wave
of transcription. The products of these transcriptional waves result in long-lasting
changes in synaptic strength, which is widely understood as a cellular correlate of
memory.
13.1
Long-Term Potentiation as a Correlate
of Long-Term Memory
Activity-dependent changes in synaptic strength in the hippocampus are thought to
underlie memory storage and the acquisition of learned behaviors. One intensely
studied form of synaptic plasticity is long-term potentiation (LTP), a persistent,
activity-dependent form of synaptic enhancement that is a model for certain types
of long-term memory (Bliss and Collingridge 1993; Martin et al. 2000; Neves et al.
2008). LTP in the CA1 region of the hippocampus has distinct temporal phases
(Nguyen and Woo 2003): a transient, early phase (E-LTP) that lasts 1–2 h and a late
phase (L-LTP) that lasts for up to 8 h in hippocampal slices (Frey et al. 1993) and
for days in the intact animal (Abraham et al. 1993). Both E-LTP and L-LTP in the
CA1 region depend on the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and on the
activation of kinases such as calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II
(CaMKII), whereas L-LTP (but not E-LTP) shares with long-term memory a
requirement for transcription and translation (Frey et al. 1988, 1993, 1996; Frey
and Morris 1997; Huang and Kandel 1994, 1995; Huang et al. 1996; Nguyen et al.
1994; Nguyen and Kandel 1997; Nguyen and Woo 2003).
Studies in Aplysia and Drosophila have been important in establishing a role for
the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)–protein kinase A (PKA) pathway in
memory consolidation (Carew 1996). This pathway leads to activation by phosphorylation of the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), a transcriptional activator for many immediate early genes. It has been shown in these
invertebrate models that not only does inactivation of CREB disrupt long-term
memory, but CREB activation enhances it. The role for CREB in mammalian
memory was later elucidated using a mouse genetic approach, where two CREB
isoforms, namely a and d, were deleted from the genome resulting in memory
impairment (Bourtchuladze et al. 1994). Moreover, CREB overexpression also
results in enhanced memory consolidation in rats (Josselyn et al. 2001). Together
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with comparable data from invertebrate models, these studies demonstrate that
CREB has a key role in modulating memory consolidation.
Considering the limited time window for protein synthesis and transcription
inhibitors blocking memory consolidation, and also the short half-life of mRNA and
protein, it is puzzling how the gene products made in this time window result in the
long-lasting neuronal changes of memory consolidation. Certainly, these gene products must pave the way for mechanisms required to maintain memory. A widely
accepted view is that these activity-dependent gene products result in lasting changes
in synaptic morphology and strength. However, recent studies suggest that persistent
changes in gene expression may also underlie the maintenance of memory.
Recently, much attention has shifted to the regulation of the state of chromatin for
gene regulation during memory consolidation. Chromatin, the complex of genomic
DNA with packaging proteins, exists in different states where genes or gene clusters
are either expressed or repressed. Chromatin exists in different states, grossly identified as euchromatin and heterochromatin. The regulation of these states of chromatin
has been studied to explain the regulation of gene expression in different cell types and
the maintenance of chromosomal regions such as telomeres and centromeres. During
cell differentiation, chromatin is silenced or activated to regulate the expression of
genes according to a specific cell type. These chromatin states are considered
extremely stable in terminally differentiated, postmitotic cells, accounting for the
maintenance of the identity of the differentiated cell. However, it has become
evident that some chromatin changes are quite dynamic in postmitotic cells, such
as neurons and immune cells that undergo gene expression changes in response to
experience (e.g., Borrelli et al. (2008) review epigenetic control in neuronal
plasticity; Placek et al. (2009) review epigenetic control in CD4+ T cell activation). Chromatin regulation is possible through covalent modifications in nucleosomal proteins known as histones, and also the DNA itself. Some of these
modifications are more labile, such as histone acetylation, while others such as
DNA methylation are much more stable. Here, we focus on the role of these
chromatin modifications during memory consolidation.
13.2
Histone Acetylation
Histones are basic proteins that are modified by acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and sumoylation of their amino-terminal tails (Strahl and Allis
2000; Peterson and Laniel 2004). A groundbreaking finding in the field of memory
was to show that inhibition of histone deacetylation enhances memory, which is
reminiscent of the effect of CREB overexpression (Levenson et al. 2004; Fischer
et al. 2007; Alarcón et al. 2004; Vecsey et al. 2007; Stefanko et al. 2009). Because the
increase of acetylated histones in response to histone deacetylase inhibitor is global,
and not cell- or gene-specific, it suggests that histone acetylation alone, unlike mass
neuronal activity, is not sufficient for gene expression. Moreover, it suggests that the
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specificity of neuronal activity confers memory consolidation, while histone acetylation is a gate for this to occur.
In the seminal study by Levenson et al. (2004), the authors use the contextual
fear conditioning paradigm, a hippocampus-dependent association task, to investigate the role of histone acetylation in hippocampus-dependent memory. One of
their major findings is that training in this association task leads to a significant
increase in acetyl-H3 in area CA1 of the hippocampus, but not acetyl-H4. Also, preexposure to the context – which blocks the association of context and shock – does
not result in increased acetyl-H3, but does increase acetyl-H4. Moreover, both
phorbol ester and forskolin treatments, which activate protein kinase C (PKC)
and protein kinase A (PKA), respectively, mimic this acetyl-H3 increase without
acetyl-H4 increase, suggesting a role for these pathways in association-dependent
histone acetylation. In a later study, they show that DNA methylation is required for
the phorbol ester-induced H3 acetylation (Levenson et al. 2006). It should be noted,
however, that global changes in acetylation may not correlate to gene-specific
changes, as forskolin induces acetylation of histone H4, but not H3, in the Bdnf
promoter IV in cultured neuroblastoma cells (He et al. 2010).
The MAPK pathway is necessary for the increase in acetyl-H3 (Levenson et al.
2004), and the study proposes that the PKA and PKC pathways converge upstream
of the MAPK pathway. Another study by the same group also implicates the MAPK
pathway in histone H3 phosphorylation, which is also induced by the contextual
fear conditioning paradigm (Chwang et al. 2006). The work by Levenson et al.
(2004) also shows that broad-spectrum HDAC inhibitors, namely sodium butyrate
(NaB) and trichostatin A (TSA), enhance a form of hippocampal LTP. The LTP
protocol that the authors use is two 100-Hz stimuli, spaced by 20 s. This LTP
protocol is not particularly robust, and also not PKA-dependent (Abel et al. 1997),
although it is sufficient to elicit a long-lasting potentiation of synaptic strength.
Lastly, a major finding in the study is that sodium butyrate administered intraperitoneally is able to enhance long-term (24 h) associative memory (contextual fear
conditioning) but not short-term (1 h) memory.
A study by Fischer et al. (2007) expands on this previous study by showing residuespecific histone acetylation and changes in synaptic morphology. In their study, they
use a neurodegenerative disease mouse model and show that environmental enrichment rescues learning and memory deficits. Unlike the Levenson study, this study
looks at histone acetylation and synaptic spine morphology after environmental
enrichment and not after associative learning. The authors show a significant increase
in acetylation of specific residues in histones H3 and H4, 24 h or 2 weeks after
environmental enrichment. In the hippocampus, some increases return to baseline at
2 weeks (Ac-H3K14, Ac-H4K8, and Ac-H4K12), whereas some stay elevated after
2 weeks (Ac-H3K9 and Ac-H4K5) not only in hippocampus, but also in cortex, which
is congruent with a role for the cortex in remote memory storage. Also, methyl-H3K4
is elevated at 24 h and at 2 weeks after enrichment in cortex only. Together with the
previous studies, these findings suggest that environmental enrichment acts in a
manner similar to histone deacetylase inhibitors to increase histone acetylation and
enhance contextual memory and modulate synaptic morphology.
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13.3
Histone Acetyltransferases and Histone Deacetylases
The study of the transcriptional coactivator, and histone acetyltransferase (HAT),
CREB-binding protein (CBP) in memory consolidation came with the recognition of
the importance of histone acetylation in memory, together with the established role
for cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling in this process. Also, along with CBP, other factors
with histone acetyltransferase activity such as p300, a CBP homologue, and p300/
CBP-associated factor (PCAF) became targets of memory studies. CBP and p300
are large and widely expressed multidomain transcriptional coactivators with HAT
activity. A role for CBP in synaptic plasticity first came from studies in Aplysia
(Guan et al. 2002). The role of these transcriptional coactivators in cognition had
already been recognized, as mutations in the human CBP or p300 genes map with
Rubenstein–Taybi syndrome (RTS) (Petrij et al. 1995; Roelfsema et al. 2005).
Different loss-of-function and dominant-negative CBP and p300 mouse models
have been used to study the role of these factors in memory. One such study uses
heterozygous Cbp-mutant mice, which express a truncated CBP protein that lacks
the C-terminus, thus inhibiting CBP function and resulting in RTS-like phenotypes
(Oike et al. 1999). This RTS mouse model has impaired long-term memory in
passive avoidance, fear conditioning, and object recognition, demonstrating a role
for CBP in memory consolidation (Bourtchuladze et al. 2003; Oike et al. 1999).
In a haploinsufficiency model of RTS carrying a single null allele of Cbp
(Tanaka et al. 1997, 2000), deficits in long-term memory for object recognition
and fear conditioning are observed, and these deficits are ameliorated by histone
deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor treatment (Alarcón et al. 2004). This is the first study
to implicate CBP in HDAC inhibitor-mediated synaptic strengthening and memory
enhancement. The authors show that this heterozygous null mutant mouse, Cbp+/,
which only has one functional allele of Cbp, has deficits in long-term contextual
associative memory and in hippocampal LTP. These memory and plasticity impairments are rescued by an HDAC inhibitor, suggesting that CBP-mediated histone
acetylation is required for memory consolidation and LTP. They also show that the
mice have a significant, constitutional 50% decrease of acetylated histone H2B,
while there are no changes in the other core nucleosome histones (H2A, H3, and
H4). It is interesting that the target of acetylation in these Cbp mutants (namely,
H2B) is different than the target of acetylation induced by environmental enrichment (H3 and H4), associative learning (H3), or nonassociative context exposure
(H4). This suggests that multiple histones are required to form a code for memory
formation. This also highlights the difficulty in assessing a role for acetylation of a
specific histone, or histone residue, at a whole genome scale as opposed to individual target genes.
These results suggest that CBP and its HAT activity have a role in long-term
memory. However, the developmental abnormalities and broad effects of the Cbp
mutants described above make it difficult to draw conclusions on an adult role for
CBP. Moreover, these mutants still have a functional copy of the Cbp gene. To
address these concerns, two studies using transgenic mouse models with regulated
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expression of dominant-negative CBP constructs have confirmed a role for CBP in
memory storage without confounding developmental abnormalities (Korzus et al.
2004; Wood et al. 2005). One of these constructs, CBPD1, lacks the HAT domain of
CBP and has deficits in long-term contextual memory but not short-term contextual
memory, implicating HAT activity of CBP in memory consolidation (Wood et al.
2005). Moreover, another Cbp mutant that lacks the ability to interact with phospho-CREB, Cbpkix/kix, also has a contextual memory deficit without a developmental phenotype (Wood et al. 2006).
The study by Vecsey et al. (2007) uses the Cbpkix/kix mutant to implicate the
CREB–CBP interaction in HDAC inhibitor-mediated memory enhancement. The
authors show that a mutant CREB mouse lacking two isoforms of the transcription
factor (a and d), Crebad/, (Bourtchuladze et al. 1994) and Cbpkix/kix (Wood et al.
2006), both of which exhibit deficits in HDAC inhibitor-mediated memory and LTP
enhancements. This finding suggests that the recruitment of CBP by CREB is
necessary for HDAC-mediated memory and LTP enhancement.
The role of p300 in memory was also addressed by using similar approaches as
in the case for CBP. Two published studies look at different p300 mutant mouse
models in contextual memory. A study by Oliveira et al. (2007) uses a transgenic
dominant-negative approach, equivalent to the CBPD1 mutant, p300D1, which is
expressed in forebrain neurons to block p300 function. Mice expressing this
dominant negative, which lacks the HAT domain of the protein, have deficits in
long-term contextual memory but not in short-term memory. Viosca et al. (2010)
use a heterozygous null, p300+/, to assess the role of p300 in RTS etiology. While
these mice have some developmental abnormalities, they did not exhibit deficits in
contextual or spatial memory consolidation. The mice did, however, show
impairment in relearning a spatial memory (water maze transfer task – where the
mice have to relearn a new position for the platform in the Morris water maze). This
learning deficit reflects a higher order role for p300 in plasticity or reorganization of
a previous memory. This deficit could be at either a cellular- or system-level
consolidation.
Another study related to HAT activity suggests a role for PCAF in memory
acquisition, but not consolidation (Duclot et al. 2010). This study uses PCAF null
mice in a spatial working memory task.
While the roles of CBP and p300 had been widely studied in the context of
histone acetylation and memory, the target of the HDAC inhibitors implicated
in memory enhancement had not been identified. HDACs comprise a large superfamily with mainly three classes. Both class I and class II HDACs are NADindependent, whereas class III HDACs, also called sirtuins, are NAD-dependent.
Both TSA and NaB inhibit largely class I and II HDACs, but within these are many
HDACs that are expressed in the brain.
A recent study identifies HDAC2, a class I HDAC, as the main target of HDAC
inhibitor-mediated memory enhancement (Guan et al. 2009). The study uses both
Hdac2 knockouts, as well as HDAC1 and HDAC2 overexpressors (OE). While the
HDAC2 OE shows impairment in long-term contextual fear memory, the HDAC1
OE does not. Moreover, the impairment in HDAC2 OE memory is rescued with
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Fig. 13.1 Role of histone acetylation in memory consolidation. The balance of histone acetylation
is regulated by histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyl transferases (HATs). Acetylation
of histones by HATs allows for a more transcriptionally permissive state of chromatin. Conversely,
deacetylated or hypoacetylated histones lead to a tight bond with DNA that is transcriptionally
repressive. Manipulations such as HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) treatment or HDAC2 loss-of-function
mutation favor the more transcriptionally permissive hyperacetylated state and result in memory
enhancement. Likewise, CBP and p300 loss-of-function mutations and dominant-negative transgene expression lead to a more transcriptionally repressive hypoacetylated state that results in
memory impairment
HDAC inhibitor treatment. Histone H4K12 acetylation was significantly reduced in
the HDAC2 OE but not HDAC1 OE. This residue is also acetylated in response to
environmental enrichment (Fischer et al. 2007). In the Hdac2 knockout, the authors
see an enhancement in long-term contextual memory, reminiscent of HDAC inhibitor-mediated enhancement. This knockout has increased acetylation of Histone
H4K5 and H4K12, as well as H2B, this last one in congruence with the HDAC
inhibitor increase of acetyl H2B (Alarcón et al. 2004). In addition, chromatin
immunoprecipitation with HDAC2 antibody shows association of this deacetylase
with many plasticity-related genes, such as Bdnf, Egr1, and Fos. The study also
shows that in the HDAC2 OE mice there is decreased dendritic spine density and
synapse number, while the HDAC knockout mice have an increased synapse
number. Overall, this study shows that HDAC2 is a target for HDAC inhibitormediated memory enhancement.
As we discuss later, histone acetylation is merely a component of a larger
combinatorial epigenetic code, but it has proved to be quite an important component. What is more impressive about the studies on histone acetylation is that they
all seem to agree that there is a balance between hyperacetylated and hypoacetylated states of histones, where the hyperacetylated state facilitates memory and
synaptic plasticity, and the hypoacetylated state impairs it (Fig. 13.1).
13.4
Other Histone Posttranslational Modifications
Aside from acetylation, another histone modification that has been linked to memory
consolidation is histone methylation. A recent study demonstrates that trimethylH3K4 is upregulated in hippocampus 1 h after associative learning and returns to
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baseline levels at 24 h (Gupta et al. 2010). Mice deficient in Mll (H3K4 methyltransferase) have an associative memory deficit. Interestingly, an HDAC inhibitor (NaB)
increased trimethyl-H3K4 and decreased dimethyl-H3K9. While H3K4 trimethylation is dependent on association of context and shock, H3K9 dimethylation occurs
with context exposure alone. Mll complexed with Eed regulates neuronal plasticity,
histone methylation, and HDAC recruitment (Kim et al. 2007). Egr1 and Bdnf
promoters show increased trimethyl-H3K4, altered DNA methylation, and methylcytosine-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) binding after contextual learning (Gupta et al.
2010). This work suggests that histone methylation results in increased DNA methylation that recruits MeCP2, paradoxically, to increase gene transcription. Interestingly,
H3K9 dimethylation was also identified as the target of histone methyltransferase
G9a, which has a role in cocaine-induced plasticity (Maze et al. 2010). Moreover,
conditional deletion of G9a in forebrain neurons leads to reduced exploratory behavior
and other behavioral abnormalities, suggesting a role for this histone methyltransferase in transcriptional homeostasis (Schaefer et al. 2009).
As alluded to previously, histone phosphorylation, another type of histone posttranslational modification, may also have a role in memory consolidation. Although it
is still unclear as to whether an increase in phosphorylation is required for memory
consolidation, it has been shown that histone phosphorylation increases with novel
context, more so in an associative fear paradigm (Chwang et al. 2006). This increase,
like the increase in histone acetylation, is dependent on the MAPK pathway. Because
the same pathways regulate both acetylation and phosphorylation, and because phosphorylation increases with experience, it suggests that phosphorylation of histones,
along with acetylation, regulates gene expression and therefore memory consolidation. This is addressed by a study showing that protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is able to
directly recruit epigenetic machinery, namely HDAC1 and histone demethylase
JMJD2A to target genes (Koshibu et al. 2010). Inhibition of PP1 results in increased
histone phosphorylation, methylation, and acetylation. Moreover, inhibition of PP1
results in enhanced long-term object recognition memory, as well as long-term spatial
memory. This study suggests that histone deacetylases, demethylases, and phosphatases exist in a complex that works in concert to silence gene expression. Conversely,
relief of this inhibition results in addition of these posttranslational marks to histones:
acetylation, phosphorylation, and methylation.
13.5
Histone Variants
Gross changes in histone variant composition of the nucleosome in neurons occur
mainly throughout development from Day 3 (E19) to Day 30 (P30). Nevertheless,
compositions of H2A.1 and H2A.2, as well as H3.2 and H3.3, change with aging,
where H2A.1 and H3.2 decrease with age, and H2A.2 and H3.3 increase with age
(Pina and Suau 1987).
Local changes in histone variants are thought to be associated with active
promoter and other regulatory regions (Jin et al. 2009). Specifically nucleosomes
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containing variants H3.3 and H2A.Z are enriched in so-called nucleosome-free
regions of active promoters, enhancers, and insulator regions. This report hypothesizes that the H3.3- and H2A.Z-containing nucleosomes are less stable than those
containing the standard variants and therefore allow for dissociation from DNA,
making the DNA sequence accessible to transcription factors. Although purely
speculative, since there are no reported studies to confirm, it can be postulated that
upon experience there is an exchange of histone variant composition. This would
allow an enrichment of H3.3 and H2A.Z in active regions, leading to increased
transcription and changes in gene expression that would ultimately affect behavior.
13.6
DNA Methylation
Many of the histone modifications described that result from learning are transient
and do not explain persistent changes in gene expression, as they typically return to
baseline levels before memory retrieval. Another epigenetic mark, DNA methylation, which occurs in cytosine residues, is considered more stable. DNA methylation
has a demonstrated role in development and is thought to be static in nondividing,
postmitotic, terminally differentiated cells. DNA methylation occurs only in cytosines that are followed by a guanine; this dinucleotide is abbreviated as CpG, where
the p represents the phosphate group that covalently links the two nucleotides on
the same strand. This nomenclature differentiates it from the CG base pair where
each nucleotide is on opposite strands and bound primarily by noncovalent hydrogen
bonds. The opposite strand of the CpG dinucleotide does, however, has a complementary CpG, which can also be methylated. CpG dinucleotides are disproportionately rare but cluster in regions in and around genes called CpG islands.
Because it was thought that DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) do not have a
role in postmitotic cells, they were not thought to be expressed in these cell
populations. However, reports have shown that DNMTs are indeed highly expressed
in neurons (Goto et al. 1994). Even after this report, it was unclear what the role of
DNMTs was in neurons. It was speculated that these enzymes might have a role in
DNA repair or neurodegeneration (Brooks et al. 1996; Endres et al. 2000). It should
be noted that DNMTs are classified into two types: maintenance DNMTs, such as
DNMT1, which methylate hemimethylated DNA – typically during DNA replication, and de novo DNMTs, such as DNMT3A and DNMT3B, which methylate DNA
where neither strand is methylated.
A seminal study by Levenson et al. (2006) shows a role for DNMTs in plasticityrelated gene regulation. This study relies on pharmacological DNMT inhibition,
which decreases DNA methylation of plasticity-related gene Reelin, suggesting that
this gene is actively methylated. Importantly, the DNMT inhibition has regionspecific effects, as it increases unmethylated DNA in one CpG island of the
Bdnf promoter I, but has no change in another CpG island of the same promoter.
The study goes on to show that activation of the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway
also decreases DNA methylation of the Reelin promoter and increases mRNA
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expression of the Dnmt3a gene, but not Dnmt1. These data, together with the
standing notion that DNA methylation is inhibitory, suggest that activity that
leads to PKC activation leads to Reelin expression through decreased DNA methylation, and at the same time Dnmt3a expression is increased creating a negative
feedback loop. However, DNMT inhibition blocks PKC-induced histone H3 acetylation, suggesting that DNA methylation recruits histone acetyltransferases, and
therefore leads to transcriptional activation, whereas DNA methylation is canonically linked to transcriptional repression. This study also shows that blocking DNA
methylation blocks L-LTP, which is also paradoxical, because L-LTP is associated
with increased gene expression.
A follow-up study by the same research group (Miller and Sweatt 2007) looked
at the role of methylation in memory formation. The mRNA expression of both
Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b is increased after a contextual fear conditioning paradigm,
even after subtracting context alone exposure. An interesting finding is that they are
able to substantially and significantly impair long-term associative memory using
DNMT inhibitors immediately after training, and that this impairment is transient.
Animals are retrained without DNMT inhibitors after testing, and on the second day
of testing they perform as well as controls perform on the first day of testing. This is
a remarkable finding that shows the plasticity of DNA methylation, while it is
widely considered to be a static mark. As stated earlier, Reelin gene methylation
decreases with PKC activity (Levenson et al. 2006). Other genes whose methylation
has been shown to be regulated are PP1 (Miller and Sweatt 2007), Bdnf (Lubin et al.
2008), and Arc (Penner et al. 2010). Bdnf methylation, like Reelin, decreases with
experience – contextual fear training, in this case – which results in higher Bdnf
mRNA (Lubin et al. 2008). PP1 methylation increases with experience, which
results in lower PP1 mRNA (Miller and Sweatt 2007). Arc is differentially methylated in promoter and intragenic regions, and this pattern is reversed from the CA1
neurons to the DG neurons of the hippocampus. Upon novel context exploration,
Arc promoter methylation is decreased in the CA1 region, but increased in the DG
region. However, in both hippocampal regions Arc mRNA increases with exploration (Penner et al. 2010).
As with the case of the Hdac2 knockout recapitulating the phenotypes of HDAC
pharmacological inhibition, Feng et al. (2010) show that a conditional forebrain
deletion of both Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a genes recapitulates the effects of pharmacological inhibitors of these enzymes in LTP, and memory. The conditional double
knockout shows grossly normal synaptic properties, although it has a reduced
hippocampal volume. These mutant mice show an impairment in LTP
(2 100 Hz, 20 s interval) and an enhancement in long-term depression (LTD).
The mice also show deficits in spatial learning, long-term spatial memory, and in
long-term contextual fear memory. Not surprisingly, overall DNA methylation
levels are reduced in the conditional double knockout. Also, DNA methylation at
a gene-specific level was also found to be decreased, with a concomitant increase in
gene expression, as is the case for Stat1. Together with the previous studies looking
at pharmacological inhibition of DNMTs, this study demonstrates the importance of
regulated gene methylation in activity-dependent gene expression that leads to
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synaptic plasticity and memory. However, the findings are contradictory to the
notion that inhibition of DNA methylation, by virtue of an overall increase in
transcription, would result in memory and plasticity enhancements, when in fact
they are impairments.
Until recently, the identity of an active neuronal DNA demethylase was not
known. Gadd45b is a gene that is induced in the brain in response to electroconvulsive treatment (Ploski et al. 2006), and it has had a known role in DNA damage
growth arrest. Ma et al. (2009) show that neural activity induces Gadd45b expression in the mature hippocampus. Gadd45b was shown to be required for electroconvulsive therapy-induced demethylation of Bdnf promoter IX and Fgf-1.
Furthermore, Gadd45b was found to associate with these gene regions, suggesting
that it may itself act as a demethylase. Additionally, Gadd45b is required for
activity-dependent adult neurogenesis, possibly through demethylation. Because
no global demethylation is detected, it is postulated that Gadd45b is recruited to
specific loci. Further studies on the role of Gadd45b are needed to elucidate its role
in activity-dependent plasticity and memory.
Most of the studies on DNA methylation have focused on the hippocampus,
and relatively transient changes in methylation status. Memory consolidation,
however, may necessitate more permanent modes of memory storage. One mechanism of long-term memory storage that we discussed earlier is system consolidation, which involves the reorganization of information in brain circuitries. The
most prominent example being the storage of declarative memory consolidated in
the hippocampus, reorganized into the cortex. Empirical evidence of hippocampal lesions that result in anterograde amnesia (inability to form new memories)
but have no effect on retrograde amnesia, supports this idea. The term for this
type of memory that goes beyond days and into weeks and years is remote
memory, and it is tightly associated with the cortex. Methylation, as a relatively
stable epigenetic mark, is a good candidate to effect long-lasting changes in gene
expression in cortical neurons. Miller et al. (2010) show that indeed gene-specific
hypermethylation is induced in cortical neurons of rats, following a single,
hippocampus-dependent associative learning experience. They go on to show
that remote memory can be disrupted by intracortical DNMT inhibition 1 month
after the learning experience.
Unlike histone acetylation, but similar to electroconvulsive treatment (ECT),
DNA methylation remains somewhat of a paradox. Blocking DNMTs results in less
methylation, which leads to broad gene activation and therefore would logically be
associated with facilitating plasticity and memory. However, we see that DNMT
inhibition, like ECT, leads to memory impairment (Fig. 13.2). With DNMT inhibition, some genes are indeed activated: Reelin, Bdnf, and Arc, and some are not:
PP1. Of course the genes that are activated are positively associated with plasticity,
whereas PP1 has been shown to lead to gene repression, leaving the paradox in
place. One explanation for this paradox is that DNA hypomethylation is sufficient
for broad transcriptional activation, in the same manner as ECT, whereas histone
hyperacetylation is permissive of transcription, but not sufficient, and the refinement necessary for transcription specificity, and therefore plasticity, is determined
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Fig. 13.2 Role of DNA methylation in memory consolidation. The balance of DNA methylation is
regulated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and DNA demethylases. Unmethylated or hypomethylated DNA leads to active transcription, and hypermethylated DNA leads to transcriptional
inactivation. DNMT inhibitors (DNMTi) and a conditional double knockout for DNMT1 and
DNMT3A result in a hypomethylated state with increased transcription, which results in memory
impairment. Gadd45b mediates DNA demethylation, and a Gadd45b conditional knockout presents increased methylation and decreased gene transcription. Electroconvulsive treatment
demethylates DNA through Gadd45b
by other factors. ECT has indeed been shown to actively demethylate DNA through
Gadd45b, as discussed earlier (Ma et al. 2009). It is possible that some gene targets
not yet studied in the context of DNA methylation may also explain this discrepancy. Also, future studies of the role of Gadd45b in demethylation may also clarify
some uncertainties.
13.7
Combinatorial Chromatin Code
The idea of a histone code for gene expression is not a new concept, as it precedes
this explosion of epigenetics in neuroscience research. What neuroscientists are
considering now is how the histone code, together with DNA methylation, and
histone variants form a combinatorial chromatin code that is relevant to synaptic
plasticity and memory consolidation (Table 13.1).
Many studies show an interdependence of these epigenetic marks: PP1, a
phosphatase that recruits a histone deacetylase and a histone demethylase (Koshibu
et al. 2010), histone methylation leading to changes in DNA methylation (Gupta
et al. 2010), and DNA methylation leading to histone acetylation (Levenson et al.
2006; Miller et al. 2008). What remains a question is how the transient changes in
histone posttranslational modifications and DNA methylation that are observed in
response to activity lead to a lasting retention of information. Nevertheless, this
interplay of epigenetic marks highlights the complexity of elucidating a code. What
we can recognize is that there are key players in this code – dubbed writers
and erasers by Borrelli et al. (2008). The writers are those enzymes that add
epigenetic marks: HATs, DNMTs, histone methyltransferases, and kinases; and
the erasers take away those marks: HDACs, demethylases, and phosphatases.
Moreover, these marks must be able to be read or decoded – task that is
280
Table 13.1 Effect of pharmacological or genetic manipulations on memory consolidation
Manipulation or
Epigenetic mechanism
Study
Effect on long-term
mouse model
memory
HDAC inhibition
" Histone acetylation
Levenson et al. (2004) Enhancement
# Histone acetylation
Bourtchuladze et al.
Impairment
Crebad/
(through disruption
(1994), Vecsey
of CBP interaction)
et al. (2007)
Cbp KO
Oike et al. (1999),
Impairment
Bourtchuladze et al.
(2003)
Cbp+/
Alarcón et al. (2004)
Impairment
Cbp{HAT-}
Korzus et al. (2004)
Impairment
CbpD1
Wood et al. (2005)
Impairment
Cbpkix/kix
Wood et al. (2006)
Impairment
p300 D1
Oliveira et al. (2007)
Impairment
Viosca et al. (2010)
No change
p300+/
(Impairment
in relearning)
Pcaf KO
Duclot et al. (2010)
Impairment
(acquisition)
Hdac2 KO
" Histone acetylation
Guan et al. (2009)
Enhancement
Hdac1 OE
Guan et al. (2009)
No change
Hdac2 OE
Guan et al. (2009)
Impairment
Mll KO
# Histone methylation
Gupta et al. (2010)
Impairment
NIPP1
" Histone phosphorylation Koshibu et al. (2010)
Enhancement
DNMT inhibition
# DNA methylation
Levenson et al. (2006), Impairment
Miller and Sweatt
(2007)
Dnmt1/Dnmt3a KO # DNA methylation
Feng et al. (2010)
Impairment
ECT
# DNA methylation
Duncan (1949), Ma
Impairment
(through Gadd45b)
et al. (2009)
Several mouse models and other manipulations in rodents have consistently demonstrated that
epigenetic mechanisms are able to modulate memory consolidation. The table summarizes each
manipulation, with its effect on epigenetic state, and its ultimate memory phenotype
performed through protein domains such as bromo and chromo domains that
recognize these marks. The interplay of these marks comes in that many of the
domains that read them are in writers and erasers themselves. HATs have bromo
domains that recognize histone acetylation and therefore propagate this mark.
HDACs are recruited by MeCP2, which recognizes methylated DNA. Ultimately,
much of this code will be deciphered through high throughput proteomics and
methyl-cytosine sequencing.
13.8
Higher Order Chromatin Structure
Recent evidence shows that CBP recruitment is not only in gene promoter
regions, but also in enhancer regions, which play a more central role in multiple
gene regulation (Kim et al. 2010). The presence of CBP in these regions,
13
281
outside of promoters, prompts the question of the role of these enhancers in
memory consolidation. When we think of gene regulation, our vision is somewhat limited by the depictions that we use. The nucleus is a very crowded
space, and subnuclear chromosomal arrangements are important for the regulation of gene expression. Enhancer and insulator regions have special importance
as they can modulate expression in this crowded space, with enhancers aiding
in gene activation by bringing elements together, and insulators aid in separating elements and avoiding spurious gene activation. Chromosomal organizers,
such as SATB1 (Cai et al. 2006), may well be the target of regulation in
response to neuronal activity. DNA is held in large loops thanks to these
organizers, and these loops have torsional strains if they are actively transcribed. So another level of regulation to consider is the role of topoisomerases,
and alternative DNA structures, in gene regulation. Future studies will elucidate
the role of these higher order structures in activity-dependent regulation of
transcription.
13.9
Concluding Remarks
As stated in a review by Roth and Sweatt (2009), the field of epigenetics in
neuroscience has created a paradigm shift in the locus of plasticity. Much
attention had been given to the synapse and to synapse-specific regulation.
Now we have compelling evidence for a role of the nucleus in modulating
plasticity. These recent findings on regulation of plasticity at the level of the
nucleus do not allow us to discard the concept of synapse-specific regulation.
There are certainly different tiers of regulation where one nucleus with one
genome is able to somehow orchestrate synapse-specific plastic changes. Epigenetic marks are able to explain persistent changes in gene expression, but they
do not explain how those changes translate to the synapse. However, examples
like BDNF expression give us an idea of how this can occur. Bdnf transcription
is regulated by DNA methylation, histone methylation, and histone acetylation
(Lubin et al. 2008; Gupta et al. 2010; He et al. 2010), and its mRNA once
transcribed has another level of regulation: dendritic trafficking (reviewed in Lu
2003; Tongiorgi 2008). This is regulated by mRNA-binding proteins that can
target the message to specific synapses and also by regulating local translation
at those synapses. Lastly, there is a vast virtually uncharacterized collection of
noncoding RNAs whose gene regulation would certainly also depend on the
state of chromatin. These RNAs can modulate mRNA permanence and therefore
provide another means for regulation that has not been fully incorporated into
the big picture (Mercer et al. 2008). Overall, the regulation of the state of
chromatin as part of neuronal plasticity is a burgeoning field, and specifically
for memory, it has had a profound impact in our understanding of long-term
information storage.
282
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.
Chapter 14
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Memory Formation
Johannes M.H.M. Reul, Andrew Collins, and Marı́a Gutièrrez-Mecinas
Abstract Formation of memories of events in our lives is one of the principal
functions of the brain. We make particularly strong memories of events with an
emotional impact. Glucocorticoid hormones, secreted in response to the stressful
event, have been identified as playing an important role in the acquisition and
consolidation of such memories. In recent years, significant advances have been
made in the identification of the signaling and epigenomic mechanisms in the
hippocampus underlying memory formation. Evidence has been accumulating for
a principal role of the NMDA–ERK MAPK signaling pathway and its downstream
effector molecules MSK1 and Elk-1. Activation of this signaling cascade results in
the phosphorylation, acetylation, and possibly methylation of histone molecules
within the chromatin structure and in the induction of immediate-early (e.g., c-Fos)
and many other genes required for the molecular and cellular adaptation of the
affected neurons. Glucocorticoid hormones via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR)
enhance memory formation through facilitation of ERK MAPK signaling to the
chromatin leading to the enhancement of epigenomic mechanisms and cognitive
performance. Thus, formation of strong memories of emotional events involves an
interaction between the GR and the NMDA/ERK/MSK1 and Elk-1 signaling pathways resulting in optimization of epigenomic changes in hippocampal neurons to
allow the induction of required neuroplasticity changes.
Keywords Acetylation Behavior c-fos Chromatin Cognition Elk-1 ERK Glucocorticoid Histone Learning and memory MAPK MSK NMDA Phosphorylation Resilience Stress
J.M.H.M. Reul (*), A. Collins, and M. Gutièrrez-Mecinas
Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University
of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK
e-mail: Hans.Reul@bristol.ac.uk
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288
J.M.H.M. Reul et al.
One of the principal functions of the brain is the formation of memories of experienced
events. Particularly, memories of emotional events are strong and sometimes lasting
for life. Possibly, importance is given to such memories because they help the organism
to adapt and respond better if similar events would reoccur in the future. Therefore,
mostly memories are beneficial for survival, health, and well-being. However,
disruptions in this cognitive process may play a role in stress-related psychiatric
disorders such as major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The neurobiological mechanisms underlying learning and memory have been
mostly studied in rodents such as rats and mice. Well-known learning and memory
paradigms include the Morris water maze, the radial maze and the forced swim test. In
these tests the animal learns to choose the most appropriate behavioral response to
enhance the chance of survival [finding the platform in the Morris water maze (Morris
1984); conservation of energy by floating in the forced swim test (Bilang-Bleuel et al.
2005; De Pablo et al. 1989; Korte 2001; West 1990)] and reward (food in the radial
maze)]. Clearly, many of these behavioral tests involve aversive and anxiogenic
conditions (e.g., novelty, fear, and sleep deprivation), and stress hormones such as
glucocorticoid hormones (corticosterone in rats and mice) are secreted during the
learning sessions (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Droste et al. 2008; Peñalva et al. 2003).
Thus, secretion of glucocorticoids and other stress hormones (e.g., adrenalin and
noradrenalin) is inherent to most behavioral tests in rodents.
Notably, the stress response and the learning and memory processes have in the
past been separately described, but it may be argued that they actually constitute highly
integrated biological mechanisms. It has been shown that the released glucocorticoid
hormones strongly facilitate the formation of memories of the experienced event. The
memory-enhancing effects of glucocorticoid hormones have been described in many
behavioral tests such as Morris water maze behavior (Oitzl and De Kloet 1992), fear
conditioning (Roozendaal et al. 2006), the forced swim test (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005;
De Kloet et al. 1988; Korte 2001; Korte et al. 1996) and others (Beylin and Shors 2003;
Smeets et al. 2009). Although these facilitatory actions of glucocorticoids have been
known for many years, the question of how glucocorticoids act on learning and
memory processes has remained unanswered. However, recent findings based on
signaling and epigenomic studies have substantially increased our insight into the
underlying mechanisms of glucocorticoid action on learning and memory.
14.1
Gene Transcription-Related Epigenetic Mechanisms
It is now well established that gene transcription is largely controlled by epigenetic
mechanisms at the chromatin level. Epigenetic mechanisms affecting the chromatin
structure and function include the covalent modifications of histone molecules and the
methylation of DNA. Here we will focus on the role of histone modifications. Histone
proteins such as histone H3 have evolutionary highly conserved N-terminal tails which
stand out from the nucleosome and can be subjected to posttranslational modifications
such as acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation and others (Strahl and Allis 2000).
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289
These histone modifications, and more importantly the combination of various histone
modifications, determine the functional state of the chromatin. The acetylation of
Lysine amino acids in histone H3 and H4 is seen in open, transcriptionally active
chromatin (Strahl and Allis 2000). Some immediate-early genes such as c-fos and
c-jun (Clayton et al. 2000), and other genes [e.g., matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP-1)
(Martens et al. 2003)] require the phosphorylation of Serine-10 (S10p) combined with
the acetylation of Lysine-14 (K14ac) for induction of gene expression. The specific
combination of histone H3 modification may be required for the recruitment of specific
nuclear factors to the chromatin to allow induction of transcription. The methylation of
histone H3 tails is associated with transcriptional activation as well as gene silencing.
Methylation of the H3K4 mark results in gene activation whereas H3K9 and H3K27
methylation leads to gene silencing (Akbarian and Huang 2008). The combination of
the H3K9 methylation and H3S10 phosphorylation marks is associated with gene
silencing (Sabbattini et al. 2007). As the combinatorial H3S10p-K14ac marks are
thought to play a role in the local opening of condensed, inactive chromatin these
histone modifications may be crucial for the transcriptional activation of dormant
genes (Cheung et al. 2000; Clayton et al. 2000). However, whether the H3S10p-K14ac
marks are required for any gene located in condensed, heterochromatin seems questionable. Even the necessity of these histone marks for the induction of c-fos may
depend on the cell type or tissue under investigation (see below).
14.2
Psychologically Salient Events Evoke Gene
Transcription-Related Histone Modifications
in the Brain
It was a serendipitous finding around the turn of the millennium when we found the
H3S10p mark in neurons of the rat and mouse brain (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2000).
Using an antibody against H3S10p (also recognizing H3S10p acetylated at Lys14, i.
e. H3S10p-K14ac [(Chandramohan et al. 2007), Chandramohan and Reul, unpublished observations] neurons were found showing a speckled nuclear immunostaining pattern. These neurons were mainly found in the dentate gyrus of the
hippocampus and there were only few neurons scattered in the amygdala, neocortex
and striatum (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan et al. 2007). Our studies
indicated that histone H3 if phosphorylated at Ser10 will be acetylated at Lys14,
thus forming H3S10p-K14ac (Chandramohan et al. 2007). As we were interested in
how animals adapt to and learn from psychologically stressful events we studied
whether such challenges would affect the number of neurons expressing H3S10pK14ac. Challenging rats or mice with forced swimming, a predator or a novel
environment, led to a substantial rise in the number of H3S10p-K14ac-positive
neurons specifically in the dentate gyrus (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan
et al. 2007, 2008). The increase peaked at 1–2 h after the challenge and returned to
baseline levels after approximately 4 h (Chandramohan et al. 2007, 2008). Thus, the
response was relatively fast and transient showing that epigenetic changes underlying
290
gene expression can be highly dynamic. Morris water maze learning [Chandramohan
and Reul, unpublished observations; (Chwang et al. 2007)] and fear conditioning
[Chandramohan Y, Sacchetti B, Strata P, and Reul JMHM, unpublished observations; (Chwang et al. 2007)] also resulted in increases in the number of H3S10pK14ac-expressing neurons in the dentate gyrus. The question arose why the
combinatorial H3S10p-K14ac mark in dentate neurons responded similarly to
such different stimuli? The response pattern of H3S10p-K14ac-positive neurons
in the dentate gyrus indeed does not give clues about the challenge the animal has
undergone; see for instance references (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan
et al. 2007, 2008). These findings nonetheless correspond with the role of the
dentate gyrus in learning and memory processes.
14.3
Sparse Epigenetic Responses in the Dentate Gyrus
The dentate gyrus represents a part of the hippocampus which is one of the principal
structures of the limbic system. It plays a major role in learning and memory
processes. As the main neuroanatomical gate of the hippocampus, the dentate
gyrus receives inputs from the entorhinal cortex, the principal neocortical region
that feeds integrated sensory and other information into the limbic system (Witter
2007). After processing, the dentate neurons pass this information on to pyramidal
neurons in the other hippocampal cell fields (mainly CA3) where the information is
integrated with other, stimulus-specific information for further processing to yield
appropriate physiological and behavioral responses and, ultimately, memory formation of the event (Rolls and Kesner 2006; Treves and Rolls 1994). Thus, when
animals are challenged, as a result of the sensory information flow, granule neurons
in the dentate gyrus are activated. GABAergic interneurons exert a high tonic
inhibitory control on dentate granule neurons and therefore only relatively few
granule cells (<5%) become activated. Such sparse activation occurs irrespective
of the stimulus (e.g., novelty, forced swimming, Morris water maze learning; in
contrast, strong depolarizing agents, such as kainate, or electroconvulsive shocks
evoke an all-out activation) (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan et al. 2007,
2008; Chawla et al. 2005; Rolls and Kesner 2006). Indeed, recently we showed that
GABA is an important modulator of baseline and novelty-evoked H3S10p-K14ac
and c-Fos in dentate neurons (Papadopoulos et al. 2008) (see below). Thus, the
neuronal activation pattern in the dentate gyrus seems to be a reflection of
the degree to which prominence is given to afferent sensory stimuli. It appears
that the enhanced H3S10p-K14ac expression in dentate granule neurons after such
stimuli is part of the sparse activation response of this hippocampal region.
Despite the abundance of evidence favoring a role of the H3S10p-K14ac marks in
gene activation, until now surprisingly few genes have been identified whose expression
depends on these epigenetic marks. Mahadevan et al. demonstrated in in vitro cell
culture experiments that phosphoacetylated histone H3 is associated with the induction
of the immediate-early genes c-fos and c-jun (Clayton et al. 2000). Later studies of
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Martens and colleagues showed that H3S10p is involved in MMP-1 induction (Martens
et al. 2003). We showed for the first time in vivo that the H3S10p-K14ac marks in rat
and mouse dentate granule neurons are associated with c-Fos induction (Chandramohan
et al. 2007, 2008; Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009). A first indication was founded on the
strictly parallel changes in H3S10p-K14ac-positive and c-Fos-positive neurons after
various experimental manipulations and the colocalization of the epigenetic mark and
gene product in the same dentate neurons based on immunofluorescence analyses
(Chandramohan et al. 2007, 2008). Recently, using chromatin immunoprecipitation
(ChIP) and qPCR we showed that forced swimming indeed evoked the combinatorial
histone marks in the c-fos promoter region in dentate neurons (Gutierrez-Mecinas et al.
2009). Moreover, forced swimming also resulted in histone H4 hyperacetylation, but
not H3 hyperacetylation, in this promoter (Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009). A similar
pattern of histone modification marks has been reported for the hippocampal c-fos
promoter after electroconvulsive shock treatment which is known to elicit a full-blown
c-Fos induction in the hippocampus including the dentate gyrus (Tsankova et al. 2004).
In contrast, the neocortex known as well to induce c-Fos after forced swimming (BilangBleuel et al. 2002) presented a different pattern of epigenetic marks at the c-fos
promoter. ChIP revealed hyperacetylation of H4 in the c-fos promoter after forced
swimming but no changes in H3S10p-K14ac and acetylated H3 (Gutierrez-Mecinas
et al. 2009). These observations confirm earlier findings that the rise in H3S10p-K14ac
observed after psychological challenges such as forced swimming and novelty is
exclusively occurring in the dentate gyrus and is not seen elsewhere in the brain
(Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan et al. 2007, 2008). Thus, in different neuronal
populations in the brain, expression of the same gene may be driven by epigenetically
diverse mechanisms. Furthermore, in different neurons, epigenetic mechanisms
controlling expression of the gene may be steered by distinct signaling pathways.
14.4
Signaling to the Chromatin Involves Integration
of Extracellular and Intracellular Pathways
14.4.1 Involvement of the NMDA Receptor and Glucocorticoid
Receptor
For survival, an organism needs to adapt to and learn from challenges imposed by
its environment. In recent years a picture is emerging that cognitive processing of
environmental challenges involves changes in epigenetic mechanisms and gene
expression profiles in multiple populations of neurons. The environment impacts on
these intranuclear events through a coordinated activation of extracellular (e.g.,
hormones and neurotransmitters) and intracellular signaling pathways. It is however still early days with regard to our understanding how epigenetic mechanisms
are steered by signaling molecules. Recently we reported that the neurotransmitter
glutamate and the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (acting through the
292
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR),
respectively) are both required for the forced swimming- and novelty-induced
histone H3 phosphoacetylation and c-Fos induction in dentate neurons (BilangBleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan et al. 2007, 2008). The requirement for activation of both pathways was additionally substantiated by the finding that the sole
injection of rats with a GR-occupying dose of corticosterone was ineffective
(Chandramohan et al. 2007). Glucocorticoid hormone action via the mineralocorticoid receptor and the gaseous messenger nitric oxide is not involved (Chandramohan
et al. 2007, 2008), suggesting specificity in participating mediators.
14.5
GABAergic Control of Dentate Gyrus Epigenomic
Responses
On the basis of electrophysiological and computational studies, it is thought that the
encoding of sensory information within the dentate gyrus is conducted orthogonally
by sparsely distributed granule neurons (Rolls and Kesner 2006). The sparse neuronal activation pattern is required for appropriate information processing (Leutgeb
et al. 2007; Rolls and Kesner 2006) and involves an important role of the strong tonic
inhibitory control exerted by local GABAergic interneurons (Rolls and Kesner
2006; Treves and Rolls 1994). Thus, granule neurons are only excited if the stimulus
is strong enough to overcome the GABAergic inhibitory tone. The excitation is
brought about by glutamate acting via NMDA receptors (Collingridge and Singer
1990; McHugh et al. 2007; Richter-Levin et al. 1995; Treves and Rolls 1994).
Aspsychological challenges evoke a sparse pattern of H3S10p-K14ac and c-Fos in
dentate granule neurons, we hypothesized that GABA may be an important modulator
of such epigenomic responses. We found that pretreatment of rats with the benzo
Lorazepam, an indirect GABA-A receptor agonist, dose-dependently blocked
the effect of a novel cage challenge on histone H3 phosphoacetylation and c-Fos
induction in dentate neurons (Papadopoulos et al. 2008). This inhibition was accomplished at a dose of the benzo that was found to be anxiolytic but not sedative.
Conversely, the partial inverse GABA-A agonist FG-7142, a drug that is known to
attenuate the GABAergic inhibition of dentate granule neurons, profoundly enhanced
baseline levels as well as novelty-induced increases in the number of H3S10p-K14acand c-Fos-positive dentate neurons (Papadopoulos et al. 2008). Corresponding with
previous reports, after FG-7142 the rats showed anxiety-like behavior and hypervigilance in the novel cage. Furthermore, the FG-7142-evoked enhancements in epigenomic changes were found to be completely blocked by the NMDA receptor
antagonist MK-801, which underscores the critical importance of this glutamate
receptor in dentate granule neuron activation (Papadopoulos et al. 2008).
These observations confirm that GABA functions as a major controller in the
dentate gyrus. This function precipitates at least in part through its modulation of
epigenomic responses in the granule neurons. Thus, regulators of GABA activity in
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the dentate gyrus may modulate the extent to which salience is given to incoming
sensory information.
14.6
ERK–MSK Signaling Drives the Histone H3S10
Phosphorylation Mark
In general, relatively little is known about the signaling mechanisms involved in the
activation or inhibition of histone modifying enzymes. The signaling cascade mediating the phosphorylation and acetylation of histone H3 has, however, been rather well
established. Pharmacological and mutant mouse studies have indicated the involvement of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1/2 and the mitogen- and
stress-activated kinases MSK1/2 (Chandramohan et al. 2008). ERK1/2 has been
shown to be activated by phosphorylation via the mitogen-activated protein kinase
(MAPK) pathway after NMDA receptor stimulation (Sweatt 2004). pERK1/2 (as well
as p38MAPK) can phosphorylate MSK1 at Ser-360, Thr-581, and Thr-700 after which
MSK1 will autophosphorylate itself at multiple sites resulting in full catalytic – H3S10
kinase – activity (Arthur 2008; Hauge and Frodin 2006). Dentate gyrus neurons are
known to express NMDA receptors, ERK1/2 and MSK1, but it was unclear whether
pERK1/2, pMSK1, H3S10p-K14ac, and c-Fos would actually come to expression in
the same neurons after a psychological challenge. The often practiced Western blot
analysis would, of course, not provide any clues in this regard. Recently, in a series of
immunofluorescence studies we could demonstrate the colocalization of pERK and
pMSK1 in dentate granule neurons (Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009). Moreover, we
could show that pERK1/2, pMSK1, and H3S10p-K14ac are expressed in the same
dentate neurons after a forced swim challenge providing clear evidence that H3S10
phosphorylation is the result of NMDA/ERK1/2/MSK1 signaling in these neurons
(Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009) (Fig. 14.1). In addition, neither expression of another
MSK kinase, i.e., phospho-p38MAPK, nor expression of the MSK-related kinase,
pRSK1/2, was found in dentate granule neurons (Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009).
Thus, there is specificity in the signaling mechanisms recruited to convey environmental challenges to the neuronal chromatin.
14.7
Establishment of the Combinatorial H3S10p-K14ac
Marks: K14 Acetylation of H3S10p
Some time ago, we proposed on the basis of the following observations that pCREBCBP may be responsible for the K14 acetylation in H3S10p (Chandramohan et al.
2008; Reul and Chandramohan 2007; Reul et al. 2009) (1) psychological challenges
such as forced swimming result in a strongly increased phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB in dentate gyrus neurons (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2002); (2) MSK
is, in addition to a H3S10 kinase, also a CREB kinase (Arthur and Cohen 2000); (3) the
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Fig. 14.1 A psychological challenge impacts on epigenomic mechanisms and memory formation
through convergent activation of the GR- and NMDA–ERK-driven MSK1 and Elk-1 signaling
pathways. Activation of these pathways leads to S10-phosphorylation and K14-acetylation of
histone H3, hyperacetylation of histone H4, transcriptional induction of c-Fos (and other genes) in
a distinct population of mature dentate granule neurons (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan
et al. 2007, 2008; Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009), and the encoding of contextual memory of the
endured event. Our research has shown that factors such as the MSK kinase p38MAPK, the MSKrelated kinase RSK, and the glucocorticoid-binding mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) are not
involved in the observed epigenetic, gene expression, and cognitive phenomena
c-fos gene promoter contains a CRE site; and (4) pCREB is able to recruit CREBbinding protein (CBP/p300, proteins with histone acetyl transferase (HAT) activity) to
the promoter (Schiltz et al. 1999). However, after forced swimming phosphorylation of
CREB takes place in virtually all dentate gyrus neurons (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2002),
which is in stark contrast to the sparse H3S10p-K14ac and c-Fos induction. Therefore,
although a role of pCREB/CBP cannot be entirely excluded, pCREB may be playing a
more general, neuroprotective role (Papadia et al. 2005) in the dentate gyrus after a
psychological challenge. Recently, we discovered that challenges such as forced
swimming and novelty result in the phosphorylation of the E twenty-six (ETS)-domain
protein Elk-1 [Ets-like protein-1 (Sharrocks 2001; Shaw and Saxton 2003; Yordy and
Muise-Helmericks 2000)] specifically in pERK1/2/pMSK1/H3S10p-K14ac/c-Fospositive neurons of the dentate gyrus (Gutierrez-Mecinas et al. 2009). According to
in vitro studies Elk-1 can be activated through ERK MAPK signaling (Yang et al.
2003a, b). Moreover, pElk-1 bound to the Elk-1-binding site within the serum response
element (SRE) of the c-fos promoter recruits HATs like p300 to the promoter that
subsequently acetylate histone molecules in adjacent nucleosomes (Li et al. 2003a;
O’Donnell et al. 2008). Thus, ERK1/2-driven Elk-1 phosphorylation in dentate
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neurons may drive the acetylation of H3S10p (and H4) in the c-fos promoter
(Fig. 14.1). This notion is supported by our recent immunofluorescence data showing
the colocalization of pElk-1 with pERK1/2, pMSK1, H3S10p-K14ac, and c-Fos.
14.8
Glucocorticoid Receptor Involvement in Histone H3
Phosphoacetylation and c-fos Gene Expression
in Dentate Gyrus Neurons
In a series of studies, we demonstrated that the establishment of the combinatorial
H3S10p-K14ac marks and consequent c-Fos induction in dentate gyrus neurons
requires in addition to signaling through the NMDA/ERK1/2/MSK1 and Elk-1
pathway also a GR-mediated action (Bilang-Bleuel et al. 2005; Chandramohan
et al. 2007, 2008). Presently, however, it is unclear at which level(s) the distinct
signaling pathways are interacting (Fig. 14.1). Classically, GRs act as liganddependent transcription factors altering gene expression through interaction with
glucocorticoid responsive elements (GREs) in promoter regions of glucocorticoid
responsive genes. As challenge-induced H3 phosphoacetylation is rather quick
(significant increases within 15 min), a role of a glucocorticoid-induced gene
product is unlikely. However, GRs may also be acting through nongenomic
mechanisms. GRs can interact with different signaling pathways among which
the MAPK ERK signaling pathway (Revest et al. 2005). Similar to the demonstrated interaction of the progesterone receptor (PR) with ERK1/2 to produce MSK
activation (Vicent et al. 2006), we propose, based on the strong similarity between
the GR and the PR, that the GR may be required for the full activation of MSK1.
Alternatively, GRs have been shown to recruit chromatin-remodeling proteins such
as ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes and histone modifying
enzymes such as HATs (e.g., pCAF), thereby promoting chromatin decondensation,
histone acetylation, and transcriptional activation (Hebbar and Archer 2003;
Kinyamu and Archer 2004; Li et al. 2003b). Thus, GRs interact with signaling
pathways and the chromatin in a highly complex manner and clearly more research
is required. Yet, it appears that activated GRs are of crucial importance in the
facilitation of NMDA/ERK/MSK and Elk-1 signaling to the chromatin.
14.9
Importance of H3S10p-K14ac-Associated Gene
Expression in Dentate Gyrus Granule Neurons
in Hippocampus-Related Memory Formation
Using well-characterized primary antibodies and immunofluorescence analysis it is
now possible to demonstrate epigenetic mechanisms linked to specific gene expression
events (e.g., c-Fos induction) within single cells in the brain. Moreover, intracellular
296
molecules (e.g., pERK1/2, pMSK1, and pElk-1) can be traced signaling to the chromatin, thereby affecting gene expression. Over the last decade an impressive collection of
data have been accumulating that strongly support a role of the combinatorial H3S10pK14ac epigenetic marks and associated gene expression in hippocampus-associated
learning and memory processes. Behavioral tests for hippocampus-associated memory
formation include the forced swim test, Morris water maze learning, and contextual
fear conditioning. In view of its role in sensory information processing and encoding,
the dentate gyrus is critically involved in memory formation in these tests (Rolls and
Kesner 2006; Treves and Rolls 1994). With regard to the formation of memories of a
forced swim experience [for details on the forced swim test, see (Chandramohan et al.
2008)], a strict requirement was the generation of H3S10p-K14ac and c-Fos in dentate
granule neurons after the initial test, thus during the acquisition and consolidation
phase of memory formation. If the generation of H3S10p-K14ac and c-Fos in these
neurons was disrupted due to NMDA receptor or GR blockade, MEK (MAPK kinase)
inhibition (thereby preventing of ERK activation), or MSK1/2 gene knockout, formation of memory of the event was greatly impaired (Chandramohan et al. 2007, 2008;
Reul and Chandramohan 2007; Reul et al. 2009). Correspondingly, antagonism of the
mineralocorticoid receptor [MR; another glucocorticoid-binding receptor in the brain
(Reul and De Kloet 1985)] neither affected memory formation of forced swim experience [as shown before (Veldhuis et al. 1985)] nor H3S10p-K14ac and c-Fos in the
dentate gyrus (Chandramohan et al. 2008).
Recently, first epigenetic data have been collected in exercising animals. Longterm voluntary exercise has been shown to result in enhanced cognition, reduced
anxiety and impulsiveness, and distinct changes in glucocorticoid hormone responses
(Binder et al. 2004; Droste et al. 2007, 2009; van Praag et al. 1999). Indeed, exercising
rats show enhanced H3S10p-K14ac and c-Fos responses in their dentate gyrus to
forced swimming (and novelty) and make stronger memories of the experienced event
(i.e., forced swimming) than the sedentary controls (Collins et al. 2009). Exercised rats
show increased hippocampal GR expression (Droste et al. 2007, 2009), which may
have led to an enhanced facilitation of ERK1/2/MSK1 and Elk-1 signaling and thus to
an enhanced epigenomic impact. This hypothesis is currently under investigation.
There is preliminary evidence that Morris water maze learning involves H3S10pK14ac and c-Fos induction in dentate neurons (Chandramohan and Reul, unpublished
observations). Indeed, using whole hippocampus extracts and Western analysis,
Chwang et al. (2007) observed a role of H3S10p in memory formation in the Morris
water maze and contextual fear conditioning requiring signaling through ERK1/2 and
MSK1. Presently, a role of histone H3 and H4 methylation is emerging. The role of
histone methylation is complex as lysine residues can carry up to three methyl groups
and the degree of methylation can have implications for chromatin structure and
transcriptional activity. Mono-, di-, and trimethyl H3K4 are all associated with
transcriptional activation (Akbarian and Huang 2008). However, the monomethylation marks of K9 and K27 of H3 and K20 of H4 are linked with gene activation,
whereas the di- and trimethylation marks of these residues are associated with
gene repression (Akbarian and Huang 2008). It should be emphasized that these
findings are based on in vitro studies and until now only few reports exist on histone
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297
methylation-associated changes in neuronal gene expression in vivo [e.g., (Huang
et al. 2007; Schaefer et al. 2009)]. We found preliminary evidence for an increased
H3K4 methylation of the c-fos promoter in the hippocampus after forced swimming
(Hesketh and Reul, unpublished observations). McEwen and colleagues recently
reported changes in overall levels of H3K4, H3K9, and H3K27 methylation in the
brain of acutely and chronically (restraint) stressed rats (Hunter et al. 2009). Conditional mutagenesis of H3K9 methyltransferase complex GLP/G9a in mice resulted in
altered exploratory, locomotor, and cognitive behaviors (Schaefer et al. 2009). Gupta
et al. demonstrated that H3K4 methylation is involved in the establishment of contextual fear memories (Gupta et al. 2010). Thus, we are only beginning to understand how
major life events impact on epigenomic mechanisms in neurons participating in the
formation of memories of such events.
14.10
Concluding Remarks
There are now clear indications that epigenetic mechanisms controlling gene transcription play a key role in learning and memory processes. Valuable information
has also been gathered about how these epigenetic mechanisms are controlled by
intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways. In this chapter, we described the
role of NMDA/ERK1/2/MSK1 and Elk-1 signaling, GR activation, and GABA-Amediated control on histone H3 S10-phosphorylation and K14-acetylation, hyperacetylation of H4, and subsequently induction of c-Fos in dentate granule neurons in
response to an emotional or otherwise psychologically stressful event. These epigenomic mechanisms appear to be of critical importance for storing memories of such
events. Histone methylation and demethylation events may be playing an important
role as well. How glucocorticoid hormones strengthen memory formation is still
elusive, but recent evidence suggests that glucocorticoids, in part, may act through
facilitation of ERK MAPK signaling in dentate neurons leading to enhanced epigenomic responses in these neurons. Elucidation of these epigenomic processes may
be key to resolve psychiatric illnesses such as major depression and anxiety-related
disorders [e.g., PTSD (Reul and Nutt 2008)] in a not too distant future.
Acknowledgment Our work described in this paper is supported by the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC; Grant Reference Number BB/F000510/1) of
the United Kingdom.
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Glossary
5-Aza-2-deoxy-cytidine (Decitabin) A cytosine in which the 5 carbon of the
cytosine ring has been replaced with nitrogen. Decitabone is exclusively
incorporated in DNA inhibiting mammalian DNA methyltransferases.
5-Azacytidine (AZA) A cytidine RNA analog in which the 5 carbon of the
cytosine ring has been replaced with nitrogen. 5-Azacytidine can be incorporated
in RNA and after metabolic activation also in DNA, where it functions as an
inhibitor of mammalian DNA methyltransferases.
Acetylation The introduction, via an enzymatic reaction, of an acetyl group to an
organic compound, for instance to histones or other proteins.
Adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) A polypeptide tropic hormone secreted
by the anterior pituitary gland in response to biological stress.
Agouti gene The murine agouti gene (A) controls fur color through the deposition
of yellow pigment in developing hairs. Several variants of the gene exist, and for
one of these (Agouti Variable Yellow, Avy) the expression levels can be heritably
modified by DNA methylation.
Alleles Different variants or copies of a gene. For most genes on the chromosomes, there are two copies: one copy inherited from the mother and the other from
the father. The DNA sequence of each of these copies may be different because of
genetic polymorphisms.
Angelman syndrome (AS) A rare pediatric diseases caused by chromosomal
aberrations or epigenetic inactivation of genes on the maternal chromosome 15.
Anxiety disorders
fear and anxiety.
Disorders with different forms of abnormal and pathological
Assisted reproduction technologies (ART) The combination of approaches that
are being applied in the fertility clinic, including IVF and ICSI.
ATRX Alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) is a
protein that belongs to the switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) family of
chromatin remodeling proteins, which facilitate gene expression by allowing
Epigenetics and Human Health, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-17426-1,
301
302
Glossary
transcription factors to gain access to their targets in chromatin. Mutations in the
ATRX gene alter DNA methylation and have been associated with an X-linked
mental retardation syndrome that is often accompanied by alpha-thalassemia
(ATRX) syndrome.
Autism A neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by impaired social interaction
and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.
Bipolar disorder (BPD) A psychiatric disease defined by the presence of one or
more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or
without one or more depressive episodes.
Bisulfite genomic sequencing A procedure in which sodium bisulfite is used
to deaminate cytosine to uracil in genomic DNA. Conditions are chosen so that
5-methylcytosine is not changed. PCR amplification and subsequent DNA sequencing reveal the exact position of cytosines which are methylated in genomic DNA.
Bivalent chromatin A chromatin region that is modified by a combination of
histone modifications such that it represses gene transcription, but at the same time
retains the potential of acquiring gene expression.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) A protein which acts on certain
neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system, supporting the survival of
neurons and encouraging the growth and differentiation of new neurons and
synapses.
Brno nomenclature Regulation of the nomenclature of specific histone modifications formulated at the Brno meeting of the NoE in 2004. Rules are
<Histone><amino acid position><modification type><type of modification>.
Example: H3K4me3 ¼ trimethylated lysine-4 on histone H3.
Bromo domain Protein motif found in a variety of nuclear proteins including
transcription factors and HATs involved in transcriptional activation. Bromo
domains bind to histone tails carrying acetylated lysine residues.
CBP CREB-binding protein involved in transcriptional regulation often associating with histone acetyltransferases such as p300.
Cell fate The programmed path of differentiation of a cell. Although all cells have
the same DNA, their cell fate can be different. For instance, some cells develop into
brain, whereas others are the precursors of blood. Cell fate is determined in part by
the organization of chromatin – DNA and the histone proteins – in the nucleus.
Cellular Memory (epigenetic) Specific active and repressive organizations of
chromatin can be maintained from one cell to its daughter cells. This is called
epigenetic inheritance and ensures that specific states of gene expression are
inherited over many cell generations.
Cerebellum Region of the brain that plays a role in motor control, as well as
language, attention, and some elements of emotion.
Glossary
303
Cerebral cortex
ChIP
A sheet of neural tissue covering the mammalian cerebrum.
See chromatin immunoprecipitation.
ChIP-chip After chromatin immunoprecipitation, DNA is purified from the
immunoprecipitated chromatin fraction and hybridized on arrays of short DNA
fragments representing specific regions of the genome.
ChIP-seq Sequencing of the totality of DNA fragments obtained by ChIP using
next-generation sequencing to quantify patterns of enrichment across the genome.
Chromatid In each somatic cell generation, the genomic DNA is replicated in
order to make two copies of each individual chromosome. During M phase of the
cell cycle, these copies – called chromatids – are microscopically visible one next to
the other, before they get distributed to the daughter cells.
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) This is a method for examining
protein–DNA interactions occurring in the cell. DNA-binding proteins are crosslinked to the DNA and enriched using antibodies with specific affinity to particular
(histone) proteins or covalent modifications on proteins. After ChIP, the genomic
DNA is purified from the chromatin fragments brought down by the antiserum
and analyzed by qPCR, microarray (ChIP-chip), or next-generation sequencing
(ChIP-seq).
Chromatin remodeling Locally, the organization and compaction of chromatin
can be altered by different enzymatic machineries. This is called chromatin remodeling. Several chromatin remodeling proteins move nucleosomes along the DNA
and require ATP for their action.
Chromatin The nucleo-protein-complex constituting the chromosomes in
eukaryotic cells. Structural organization of chromatin is complex and involves
different levels of compaction. The lowest level of compaction is represented by
an extended array of nucleosomes.
Chromo domain (chromatin organization modifier domain) Protein–protein
interaction motif first identified in Drosophila melanogaster HP1 and polycomb
group proteins. Also found in other nuclear proteins involved in transcriptional
silencing and heterochromatin formation. Chromo domains consist of approximately 50 amino acids and bind to histone tails that are methylated at certain lysine
residues.
Chromosomal domain In higher eukaryotes, it is often observed that in a specific
cell type, chromatin is organized (e.g., by histone methylation) the same way across
hundreds to thousands of kilobases of DNA. These “chromosomal domains” can
comprise multiple genes that are similarly expressed. Some chromosomal domains
are controlled by genomic imprinting.
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) A polypeptide hormone and neurotransmitter involved in the stress response.
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Glossary
CpG dinucleotide A cytosine followed by a guanine in the sequence of bases of
the DNA. Cytosine methylation in mammals occurs primarily at CpG dinucleotides.
CpG island A small stretch of DNA, of several hundred up to several kilobases in
size, that is particularly rich in CpG dinucleotides and is also relatively enriched in
cytosines and guanines. Most CpG islands comprise promoter sequences that drive
the expression of genes.
CREB cAMP response element-binding protein, a transcriptional activator for
many immediate early genes.
Cytosine methylation In mammals, DNA methylation occurs at cytosines that
are part of CpG dinucleotides. As a consequence of the palindromic nature of the
CpG sequence, methylation is symmetrical, i.e., affects both strands of DNA at a
methylated target site. When present at promoters, it is usually associated with
transcriptional repression.
Deacetylation The removal of acetyl groups from proteins. Deacetylation of
histones is often associated with gene repression and is mediated by histone
deacetylases (HDACs).
“de novo” DNA methylation The addition of methyl groups to a stretch of DNA
which is not yet methylated (acquisition of “new” DNA methylation).
Dentate gyrus Part of the hippocampal formation believed to contribute to
memory formation and other brain functions.
Disomy The occurrence in the cell of two copies of a chromosome, or part of a
chromosome, that are identical and of the same parental origin (uniparental disomy).
DNA methyltransferase Enzyme which puts new (de novo) methylation onto the
DNA, or which maintains existing patterns of DNA methylation.
DNA demethylation Removal of methyl groups from DNA. This can occur
“actively,” i.e., by an enzymatically mediated process, or “passively,” when methylation is not maintained after DNA replication.
DNA methylation A biochemical modification of DNA resulting from addition
of a methyl group to either adenine or cytosine bases. In mammals, methylation is
essentially confined to cytosines that are in CpG dinucleotides. Methyl groups can
be removed from DNA by DNA demethylation.
Dopamine A catecholamine neurotransmitter that has an important role in cognitive function, voluntary movement, reward, motivation, and prolactin production.
Dosage compensation The X-chromosome is present in two copies in the one
sex, and in one copy in the other. Dosage compensation ensures that in spite of the
copy number difference, X-linked genes are expressed at the same level in males
and females. In mammals, dosage compensation occurs by inactivation of one of
the X-chromosomes in females.
Glossary
305
Embryonic stem (ES) cells Cultured cells obtained from the inner cell mass of
the blastocyst, and for human ES cells, possibly also from the epiblast. These cells
are totipotent; they can be differentiated into all different somatic cell lineages.
ES-like cells can be obtained by dedifferentiation in vitro of somatic cells (see
iPS cells).
Endocrine disruptor A chemical component which can have an antagonistic
effect on the action of a hormone (such as on estrogen) to which it resembles
structurally. Some pesticides act as endocrine disruptors and have been found in
animal studies to have adverse effects on development, and for some, to induce
altered DNA methylation at specific loci. A well-characterized endocrine disruptor
is Bisphenol-A, a chemical used for the productions of certain plastics.
Enhancer A small, specialized sequence of DNA which, when recognized by
specific regulatory proteins, can enhance the activity of the promoter of a gene(s)
located in close vicinity.
Epi-alleles Copies of a DNA sequence or a gene which differ in their epigenetic
and/or expression states without the occurrence of a genetic mutation.
Epigenesis The development of an organism from fertilization through a
sequence of steps leading to a gradual increase in complexity through differentiation of cells and formation of organs.
Epigenetic code Patterns of DNA methylation and histone modifications can
modify the way genes on the chromosomes are expressed. This has led to the
idea that combinations of epigenetic modifications can constitute a code on top of
the genetic code which modulates gene expression.
Epigenetic inheritance The somatic inheritance, or inheritance through the germ
line, of epigenetic information (changes that affect gene function, without the
occurrence of an alteration in the DNA sequence).
Epigenetic marks Regional modifications of DNA and chromatin proteins,
including DNA methylation and histone methylation, that can be maintained
from one cell generation to the next and which may affect the way genes are
expressed.
Epigenetic reprogramming The resetting of epigenetic marks on the genome so
that these become like those of another cell type, or of another developmental stage.
Epigenetic reprogramming occurs for instance in primordial germ cells to bring
them back in a “ground state”. Epigenetic reprogramming and dedifferentiation
also occur after somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Epigenetics The study of heritable changes in gene function that arise without an
apparent change in the genomic DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms are
involved in the formation and maintenance of cell lineages during development,
and, in mammals, in X-inactivation and genomic imprinting, and are frequently
perturbed in diseases.
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Glossary
Epigenome The epigenome is the overall epigenetic state of a particular cell. In
the developing embryo, each cell type has a different epigenome. Epigenome maps
represent the presence of DNA methylation, histone modification, and other chromatin modifications along the chromosomes.
Epigenotype The totality of epigenetic marks that are found along the DNA
sequence of the genome in a particular cell lineage or at a particular developmental
stage.
Epimutation A change in the normal epigenetic marking of a gene or a regulatory
DNA sequence (e.g., a change in DNA methylation) which affects gene expression.
Escape of X-inactivation Regions and genes on the X-chromosomes which are
not affected by the dosage compensation/X-inactivation mechanism and remain
active on both X-chromosomes in females.
Euchromatin A type of chromatin which is lightly staining when observed
through the microscope at interphase. Euchromatic chromosomal domains are
loosely compacted and relatively rich in genes. The opposite type of chromatin
organization is heterochromatin.
Folate A methyl donor obtained primarily from the diet involved in nucleotide
synthesis and methylation reactions, including DNA methylation.
FRAXA Fragile X mental retardation syndrome involving genetic (CCG repeat
expansion) and epigenetic (DNA methylation) changes at the FRM1 gene promoter.
GABA g-Aminobutyric acid, or the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the
mammalian central nervous system.
GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission Neuronal signaling resulting from
the binding of GABA to GABA receptors that decreases the probability of a target
cell firing an action potential.
GAD67 Glutamate decarboxylase (also known as GAD1), an enzyme, which is
responsible for catalyzing the production of g-aminobutyric acid from L-glutamic
acid.
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) An examination of all or most of the
genes in groups of individuals different for some specific trait or disease in order
to identify DNA sequence-based factors that contribute to the origin of such
phenotypes.
Genomic imprinting An epigenetic phenomenon which affects a small subset of
genes in the genome and results in mono-allelic gene expression in a parentof-origin dependent way (for a given pair of alleles uniformly either the maternally
or paternally derived copy is active).
Glucocorticoids Steroid hormones that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor and
affect immunological functions, metabolic processes, and responses to stress.
Glossary
307
Glutamatergic excitatory neurotransmission Neuronal signaling resulting
from the binding of glutamate to glutamate receptors that increases the probability
of a target cell firing an action potential.
GR/receptor The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), encoded by the gene NR3C1, is
the receptor that glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, bind to. The GR regulates genes
that modulate development, metabolism, immune functions, and responses to stress.
Heterochromatin A type of chromatin which is darkly staining when observed
through the microscope at interphase. Heterochromatic chromosomal domains,
found in all cell types, are highly compacted, rich in repeat sequences, and show
little or no gene expression. Extended regions of heterochromatin are found close to
centromeres and at telomeres.
Hippocampus A region of the brain belonging to the limbic system that plays a
role in long-term memory and spatial navigation.
Histone acetylation Posttranslational modification of the e-amino group of lysine
residues in histones catalyzed by a family of enzymes called histone acetyltransferases (HATs). Acetylation contributes to the formation of decondensed, transcriptionally permissive chromatin structures and facilitates interaction with proteins
containing bromo domains.
Histone acetyltransferase (HAT)
amino acids on histone proteins.
An enzyme that acetylates (specific) lysine
Histone code Theory that distinct chromatin states of condensation and function
are marked by specific histone modifications or specific combinatorial codes (see
also epigenetic code).
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) An enzyme that removes acetyl groups from
histone proteins. This increases the positive charge of histones and enhances their
attraction to the negatively charged phosphate groups in DNA.
Histone methylation Posttranslational methylation of amino acid residues in
histones catalyzed by histone methyltransferases (HMTs). Histone methylation is
found at arginine as mono- or dimethylation and lysine as mono-, di-, or trimethylation. Modifications are described depending on the position and type of methylation (mono-, di-, and trimethylation) according to the Brno nomenclature. Different
types of methylation can be found in either open transcriptionally active or silent
(repressive) chromatin (histone code). Methylated lysine residues are recognized by
proteins containing chromo domains.
Histone methyltransferase (HMT) Enzymes catalyzing the transfer of methyl
groups from S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) to lysine or arginine residues in histones.
Histone variants Variants of canonical histones with distinct amino acid changes
accumulating at distinct chromatin regions associated with transcriptional control
or silencing.
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Glossary
Histone-demethylase (HDM) Proteins catalyzing the active enzymatic removal
of methyl groups from either lysine or arginine residues of histones. Prominent
examples are LSD1 and Jumonji proteins.
Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) A complex interaction between
the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands that functions to control the stress
response and many bodily processes.
Hypothalamus A portion of the brain that links the nervous system to the
endocrine system via the pituitary gland and controls body temperature, hunger,
thirst, sleep, and circadian cycles.
Imprinted genes Genes that show a parent-of-origin specific gene expression
pattern controlled by epigenetic marks that originate from the germ line.
Imprinted X-inactivation Preferential inactivation of the paternal X-chromosome
in rodents (presumably also humans) during early embryogenesis and in the placenta
of mammals.
Imprinting control region (ICR) Region that shows germ line derived parentof-origin dependent epigenetic marking which controls the imprinted expression of
neighboring imprinted genes.
Imprinting
See genomic imprinting
In vitro fertilization (IVF) Fertilization of a surgically retrieved oocyte in the
laboratory, followed by a short period of in vitro cultivation before the embryo is
transferred back into the uterus to allow development to term.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) Cells derived from differentiated somatic
cells by in vitro reprogramming. Reprogramming is triggered by the activation of
pluripotency factor genes and cultivation in ES-cell medium. iPS cells are capable
to generate all cell types of an embryo.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) Capillary mediated injection of a
single sperm into the cytoplasm of an oocyte followed by activation to promote
directed fertilization.
Intrauterine environment
The collective conditions affecting a fetus in the uterus.
Isoschizomers Restriction enzymes from different bacteria which recognize the
same target sequence in DNA. Often these enzymes respond differently to methylation of bases within their target sequence, which may make them important tools
in DNA-methylation analysis. Thus, MspI cuts both CCGG and C5mCGG, whereas
HpaII cuts only the unmethylated sequence.
Kinship theory of imprinting An evolutionary theory, which attempts to explain
the origin and evolution of imprinted genes.
LINE elements Long interspersed (repetitive) elements dispersed among the
human/mammalian genome. LINE elements are usually transcriptional silent and
marked by DNA methylation.
Glossary
309
Long-term potentiation (LTP) A persistent, activity-dependent form of synaptic
enhancement of neuron that is a model for certain types of long-term memory.
Major depression A mental disorder characterized by low mood accompanied
by low self-esteem, suicidal thought, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally
enjoyable activities.
MAPK/ERK signaling Signaling pathway in the cell, which consists of many
proteins, including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, originally called
ERK) that communicates signals from the cell surface to nucleus, affecting the
levels and activities of transcription factors and gene expression.
Maternal effects Long-term effects on the development of the embryo triggered
by factors in the cytoplasm of the oocyte.
MeCP2 Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 encodes a protein that is essential for the
normal function of nerve cells; mutations in this gene cause Rett syndrome.
Methyl-binding domain (MBD) Protein domain in Methyl-CpG-binding proteins (MBPs) responsible for recognizing and binding to methylated cytosine
residues in DNA. Proteins containing MBDs form a specific family of proteins
with various molecular functions.
Methyl-CpG-binding proteins (MBPs) Proteins containing domains (such as
MBD) binding to 5-methyl-cytosine in the context of CpG dinucleotides. MBPs
mostly act as mediators for molecular functions such as transcriptional control or
DNA repair.
Monozygotic twins Twins developed from one zygote that splits and forms two
embryos (also known as identical twins).
MTHFR Methyl tetrahydrofolate reductase – a key enzyme in the folate (see
above)-S-adenosylmethionine (SAM, see below) pathway.
Myelin
An electrically insulating material covering the axons on neurons.
Neuronal plasticity
experience.
The ability of the brain to change as a result of one’s
NMDA/receptor The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor is an ionotropic glutamate
receptor that stimulates intracellular signaling cascades that affect gene transcription, synaptic plasticity, and learning and memory.
Noncoding RNA (ncRNA) RNA transcripts that do not code for a protein.
ncRNA generation frequently involves RNA processing.
Non-Mendelian inheritance Inheritance of genetic traits that do not follow Mendelian rules and/or cannot be explained in simple mathematically modeled traits
Nucleolus Specific compartments within the nucleus formed by rDNA repeat
domains. Nucleoli are marked by specific heterochromatic structures and active
gene expression.
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Glossary
Nucleosome Fundamental organizational unit of chromatin consisting of 147
base pairs of DNA wound around a histone octamer.
Oligodendrocyte
A type of neuroglia that insulates axons in the CNS.
Paraventricular nucleus (PVN) A neuronal nucleus in the hypothalamus containing neurons that are activated by stressful or physiological changes.
Pituitary An endocrine gland protruding from the hypothalamus that secretes six
hormones involved in homeostasis of an organism.
PKA Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A. In LTP PKA is
involved in memory consolidation.
Polyamines A group of organic compounds that are composed of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen, and that have two or more amino groups.
Polycomb group proteins Epigenetic regulator proteins forming multiprotein complexes (PRCs ¼ polycomb repressive complexes). Polycomb group proteins possess
enzymatic properties to control the maintenance of a suppressed state of developmentally regulated genes, mainly through histone methylation and ubiquitination.
Position effect variegation (PEV) Cell/tissue specific variability of gene expression controlled by the temporal inheritance of certain epigenetic states. PEV is a
consequence of variable formation of heterochromatin across the respective gene.
A classical example of PEV is found in the certain mutations leading to variegated
eye pigmentation in Drosophila eyes.
Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) A rare pediatric disease caused by chromosomal
aberrations or epigenetic misregulation of genes on the paternal chromosome 15.
Protamines Small, arginine-rich proteins that replace histones late in the haploid
phase of spermatogenesis (during spermiogenesis). They are thought to be essential
for sperm head condensation and DNA stabilization. After fertilization protamines
are removed from paternal chromosomes in the mammalian zygote.
Psychosis An abnormal condition of the mind, described as involving a loss of
contact with reality.
Reelin A protein that regulates neuronal migration in the developing brain and
also performs various important functions (synaptic plasticity, dendrite development, adult neurogenesis) in the adult brain.
RNA interference (RNAi) Posttranscriptional regulatory effects on mRNAs
(control of translation or stability) triggered by processed ds and ss small RNA
(si-, mi-, and pi-RNAs) molecules. Effects are propagated by enzymatic complexes
such as RISC containing the small RNAs bound by Argonaute proteins.
Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome (RTS) A disorder caused by mutations in the
CREBBP gene, characterized by short stature, moderate to severe learning difficulties, distinctive facial features, and broad thumbs and first toes.
Glossary
311
S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) A cofactor for all DNA (DNMTs) and histone
methyltransferases (HMTs) providing the methyl group added to either cytosines
(DNA) or histones (arginine or lysine).
S-Adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) Hydrolyzed product formed after the methylation reaction catalyzed by DNA and histone methyltransferases using SAM as
methyl group donor. SAH is a competitive inhibitor of SAM for most methyltransferases.
SAHA Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, an inhibitor of certain histone deacetylases, leading to enhanced levels of histone acetylation. See also TSA.
Schizophrenia A mental disorder characterized by disintegration of thought
processes and of emotional responsiveness, involving hallucinations, paranoia,
delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking.
Serotonin A neurotransmitter produced in the brain that regulates mood, appetite,
sleep, and impulse control. It is also known to influence the functioning of the
cardiovascular, renal, immune, and gastrointestinal systems.
SET domain A domain found in virtually all lysine-specific histone methyltransferases (HMTs). A protein–protein interaction domain required for HMT activity
and modulation of chromatin structure, frequently associated with cysteine-rich
Pre-SET and Post-SET domains.
Silencer Element in the DNA to which proteins bind that inhibits transcription of
a nearby promoter. Silencer elements are recognized and bound by silencer proteins.
siRNAs Small interfering RNAs, RNAs in the size range of 21–24 nucleotides
derived from double-stranded long RNAs cleaved by Dicer. siRNAs are
incorporated into the RISC complex to be targeted to complementary RNAs to
promote cleavage of these mRNAs.
Skewing of X-chromosome inactivation Unbalanced inactivation of X-chromosomes in females resulting in different effects of X-linked genetic difference such
as recessive mutations.
snoRNAs Small nucleolar RNAs involved in processing of small RNAs such as
ribosomal RNAs.
Social environment
person interacts.
Social milieu – the people and institutions – with whom the
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) Transfer of the nucleus of a somatic cell
into an enucleated oocyte using a glass capillary to form an SCNT-zygote. After
activation of the zygote the genome of the nucleus derived from the somatic cells
becomes reprogrammed to start development.
Spermatogonia Immature diploid sperm cells which develop into mature spermatozoa (sperm). Major epigenetic changes occur in spermatogonic cells.
312
Glossary
Stem cell Noncommitted cell which has the capacity to self renew and divide
many times giving rise to daughter cells which maintain the stem cell function.
Stem cells have the property to differentiate into specialized cells.
Sumoylation Addition of a Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier or SUMO group to
histone residues associated with transcriptional repression.
Totipotency Capacity of stem cells to produce all cell types required to form a
mammalian embryo, i.e., embryonic and extraembryonic cells (see Pluripotency).
Totipotent cells are formed during the first cleavages of the embryo.
Trithorax group proteins Proteins containing a thritorax-like bromo domain:
They are usually involved in recognizing histone modifications marking transcriptionally active regions and contribute to maintenance of activity.
TSA
Trichostatin-A, an inhibitor of certain types of histone deacetylases.
Turner syndrome A disorder affecting women which is caused by a chromosomal abnormality in which all or part of one of the X-chromosome is absent.
X-chromosome inactivation Epigenetically controlled form of dosage compensation in female mammals resulting in transcriptional silencing of genes on surplus
X-chromosomes. X-chromosome inactivation is triggered by the noncoding RNA
Xist and manifested by various epigenetic modifications including histone methylation, histone deacetylation, and DNA methylation.
XIC X-inactivation center. Region at which the XIST-mediated inactivation
starts. Allelic changes/differences in the XIC may lead to skewed inactivation.
XIST X-inactive specific transcript. The mammalian XIST gene codes for a
nonprotein coding RNA that coats the inactive X-chromosome.
Zebularine 1-b-D-Ribofuranosyl-2(1H)-pyrimidinone, a cytosine analog that can
be incorporated in RNA and in DNA, where it has DNA-methylation inhibitor
effects.
Index
A
Abuse, 185–189, 192, 194, 198, 199
Acoustic startle reflex, 79
Agouti, 102
Allelic expression imbalance ratios, 132
Alzheimer’s disease, 246, 254, 255
Androgen receptor, 125, 133
Angelman, 82
Anxiety, 292, 296, 297
ATRX, 133, 135
Attachment, 143–161
Autism, 77, 135, 136, 147, 154, 157–160
5-Aza–2-deoxycytidine, 257
B
Barr body, 121
BDNF, 80
Bereavement, 77
Bipolar disorder, 41–46, 85, 135
Birth weight, 76
Boundary, 130
C
Cancer, 248, 250
CBP. See CREB-binding protein (CBP)
c-Fos, 289–297
ChIP. See Chromatin immunoprecipitation
(ChIP)
Choline, 79
Chromatin, 5–7, 9–14, 123, 270, 274, 279–281
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP),
134, 291
Chromatin remodeling, 37
Chromatin structure, 212–214, 218, 225
Chromium(III), 88
Clozapine, 11, 12, 14
Coadaptation, 170, 171
Cognitive disorders, 245–260
Comet assay, 87
Conditioned place paradigm (CPP), 257
CpG dinucleotides, 119
CpG islands, 123
CREB-binding protein (CBP), 250–252,
256, 259
Cycle of violence, 132
Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk), 254
D
Delusional disorders, 78
Dendritic spine, 252, 258
Dentate gyrus, 289–297
Depression, suicide, 49–63
Diabetes, 76
Diet, 101
Differentially methylated regions, 81
DNA methylation, 8, 41–46, 51, 55, 56,
60–62, 100
tissue-specific, 105
Dopamine, 104
Dopamine 3, 83
Drug addiction, 246, 252, 257–258
Dry cleaner, 89
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, 123
E
Early-life adversity, 50–54
Electroconvulsive treatment, 278–280
Elk–1, 294–297
Embryogenesis, 83
Environment, 51, 52, 56, 63
intratuterine, 75, 76, 79, 80
Environmental exposure, 104
Epidemiology, 105
Epigenetic mechanisms, 73
DNA methylation, 72, 75, 80, 83
gene-specific hypermethylation, 86
313
314
DNA methylation (cont.)
global hypomethylation, 86
DNA methyltransferases, 88
histone modifications, 72
RNA-associated silencing, 72
siRNAs, 72
Epigenetics, 49–63, 98, 185–199
DNA demethylation, 217–219, 227, 228
DNA methylation, 211–217, 225–228
pathway, 100
study design, 106
ERK, 293–297
Ethnic minority status, 107
Exploratory behavior, 88
Exposure therapy, 253, 257, 258, 260
Expression microarrays, 125
Extinction, 246, 253, 257, 258, 260
F
Family, twin, and adoption studies, 73
dizygotic, 74
familial aggregation, 74
monozygotic, 74
twin pairs
concordance, 74, 85
discordant, 75, 85
dizygotic, 74
monozygotic, 74, 75, 85, 86
pairwise concordance, 74
Famine, 76, 77
Fear conditioning, 250–255, 258, 259
Fecundability, 87
Fertility, 87
Fetal growth, 76
FG–7142, 292
FMR1
CGG repeats, 129, 130
CGG trinucleotide repeat, 129
Folate, 79, 100
Fragile X, 123
Fragile X mental retardation protein, 130
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), 129, 256, 257
G
GABA, 290, 292–293, 297
GABA A, 83
Gene–environment correlation, 106
Gene–environment interaction, 104
Genetic code, human variability, 71
Genomic imprinting, 42, 44, 145–150,
157, 158
Gestation, 102
Glucocorticoid, 288, 291–292, 294–297
Glucocorticoid receptor, 291–292, 294–297
Index
Glucose–6-phosphate dehydrogenase
(G6PD), 124
Glutamic acid decarboxylase, 10
H
Haemophilia, 123
HDAC. See Histone deacetylase (HDAC)
inhibitors
HDAC1, 247–249, 258, 259
HDAC2, 247, 249, 258–260
Hemorrhage, 79
Hippocampus, 250–254
CA1, 79
cell differentiation, 80
cell proliferation, 80
cell survival, 80
dentate gyrus, 79
5-HT1A, 80
Histone, 1–14, 245–260, 288–297
Histone acetylation, 246, 247, 249–253,
255–257, 259, 270–275,
278–281, 295
Histone acetyltransferase (HAT), 246, 247,
250–252, 256
CREB-binding protein (CBP), 272–274,
280
p300, 272–274, 280
PCAF, 272, 273, 280
Histone code, 247, 249
Histone deacetylases (HDAC), 45, 245–260
HDAC1, 273–275, 280
HDAC2, 273, 274, 277, 280
inhibitors, 245–260
Histone H3 phosphoacetylation, 292, 295
Histone methylation, 274, 275, 279–281,
296, 297
Histone modifications, 51, 60, 61, 63
Histone phosphorylation, 275, 280, 288, 289,
293, 294, 297
Histone variant
histone H3.3, 275, 276
histone H2A.Z, 276
Homocysteine, 101
Hormones
corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH),
76, 77
cortisol, 76
glucocorticoid hormone, 76
glucocorticoids, 76
Human genome project, 71
Huntington’s disease (HD), 246, 255, 256
Hydroxymethylcytosine, 46
Hypoxia, 79
Index
I
ICD. See International Classification
of Diseases (ICD)
ICD–10, 78
Immigrants, 107
age at migration, 108
Imprinting, 81
erasure, 82
establishment, 82
insulin-like growth factor 2, 83
loss of imprinting, 82
maintenance, 82
Inactivation centre (XIC), 120
Incidence, 73, 78
Inflammation, 112
Insulin-like growth factor 2, 81, 82
International Classification of Diseases
(ICD), 78
Intragenomic conflict, 171, 179
conflict, 170
J
Jerusalem Perinatal Study, 78, 79, 87
L
Lead, 87–89
Learning, 288, 290, 296, 297
Life course, 111
LINE–1 hypothesis, 124
Long interspersed nuclear elements
(LINEs), 45
Long-term potentiation (LTP), 251–253,
256, 259
early phase long-term potentiation (ELTP), 269
late phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP),
269, 277
Lysine deacetylases, 249
M
Major depression, 288, 297
Manual extraction, 79
Maternal, 187–192, 194, 195, 198
Maternal behavior
glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression,
222–226, 229
licking and grooming (LG) and archedback nursing (ABN) posture,
223–229
neuroendocrine and hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress
responses, 223–224
Maternal care, 110
315
Maternal infection, 76
Maternal nutrition/diet effects,
gestational stress, 223–225
Maternal sepsis, 79
Mechanisms, 83
Memory, 246, 250–256, 258–260, 287–297
long-term memory, 268–270, 272, 278
short-term memory, 268, 273
Metabolic syndrome, 14
Methionine, 101
Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), 133
Migration, 107
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK),
250–252
Monoamine, 176
dopaminergic, 174, 175
noradrenergic, 174, 175
serotonergic, 174, 175
serotonin, 175
Monoamine oxidases, 132
Monoaminergic
dopamine, 175
noradrenaline, 175
Monozygotic twins, 42–44
Morbidity, 73
Morris water maze, 288, 290, 296
Motor activity, 79
MSK, 293–295
Mutations, de novo, 83
N
NASCAR, 89
Negative symptoms, 73
Neglect, 185–189, 192, 199
Neural tube defects, 79, 99, 103
Neurodegenerative disorders, 246, 254–256,
260
Neurodevelopment, 99, 104, 189
Neuronal alpha tubulin, 134
Next-generation sequencing, 46
Nicotinamide, 247, 255, 257
Nitric oxide, 259
NMDA receptors. See N-methyl-D-aspartate
(NMDA) receptors
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors,
250, 251, 259, 291–297
Nonaffective psychoses, 78
Non-coding RNAs (microRNA), histone
modification, 212, 213
Nonhistone proteins, 249, 251, 256, 259, 260
Novelty seeking, 88
Nuclear actor-kappa-B (NF-kb), 259
Nucleosome, 5, 6, 8, 9, 246, 247, 249
316
Nutrition, 75
supplementation, 79
O
Obstetric complications, 79
Oogonia, 83
P
p300, 251, 256, 260
Parental origin effects, 44
Parenting, 185, 187, 188, 192, 199
Paternal age, 73, 81–83, 86
Paternal age-related schizophrenia, 86
Phenylbutyrate, 248, 256, 257
Physical activity, 88
Placenta, 83
Polycomb group proteins, 123
Positive symptoms, 73
Postmortem brain, 44–46
Postnatal cross-fostering and hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress
responses, 224
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 288, 297
Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), 82, 176, 179
serotonin, 173, 174, 177
Preeclampsia, 76, 79
Premutations, 130
Prenatal famine, 99
Prepulse inhibition, 79
Preterm birth, 76
Prevalence, 73
Prodromal period, 73
Protamines, 87, 88
Pseudoautosomal regions, 124
Psychiatric disorder, 24
Psychosis, 73, 75
PTSD. See Posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD)
Q
Quantitative trait loci (QTL), 123
R
Regulation, 23–37
Rett syndrome (RTT), 134
Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome (RTS), 246, 256
S
S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), 45, 46
Schizoaffective disorders, 78
Schizophrenia, 2–14, 98, 135, 154–160
biological mechanism, 112
environmental causes, 98
Index
epigenetic changes, 104
etiology, 99
incidence, 108
Schizophrenia-related disorders, 78
Schizotypal disorder, 78
Serotonin 2A, 83
Signaling, 288, 291–297
Silencing, 123
Single-and double-strand breaks, 87
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs),
4, 79, 136
S-nitrosylation, 259
Social brain, 143–161
Social context, 109
Social defeat, 111
Sodium butyrate, 248, 252–257, 259
Somatic cell hybrids, 125
Spatial learning, 88
Sperm, 86–88
Spermatogenesis, 83, 120
Spermatogonia, 83
Sperm chromatin, 87
Steroid sulphatase, 125
Stress, 76, 78–80, 110, 288, 293
Arab/Israeli six day war, 77
Structural maintenance of chromosomes, 126
Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA),
248, 252, 255, 256, 258
Superior temporal gyrus, 85
Synaptic plasticity, 246, 251–253, 256–259
Synaptogenesis, 252, 258, 259
T
Tetrachloroethylene, 89
Tetraethyl lead, 89
Time-to-pregnancy, 87
Toxic-gain-of-function, 130
Transcription start sites, 6, 7, 9, 11
Transgenerational, 186, 197–198
Trauma, 77
Trichostatin A, 248, 250, 252–253,
255–257, 259
Trithorax group protein, 123
Trophoblast, 119
Tuba1a, 134
Turner’s syndrome, 84, 85, 129, 133
U
UTX, 126
V
Valproate, 248, 249, 252, 253, 255
Index
W
War, 77
White matter neurons, 3
X
X-chromosome, 86
dosage compensation, 85
maternal, 84, 85
paternal, 84, 85
317
random inactivation, 85
skewed X-chromosome inactivation, 85
X-chromosome inactivation, 42–44
X-inactivation, 120, 121, 123, 124, 135, 136
X-linked mental retardation, 126
X-linked retardation syndromes, 85
Xp/Xm, 121, 125

Brain, Behavior and Epigenetics (Epigenetics and Human Health)

Transcription

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